Moonsault Email Rule Set Revised Design Document, Version 1.

41, September 1999

Copyright Notice (a.k.a. Legal Crap) This game and this document are copyright 1998, 1999, Franois-Dominic Larame. The author grants an unlimited license to use the game system described herein for noncommercial play, whether in head-to-head, play-by-mail or play-by-email competition. The author further allows unlimited reproduction and distribution of this document, provided that neither the content of the document nor this notice are modified in any way. All other rights are reserved. Among other things, this means that I am not going to make any money out of MERS, and that neither should you. Anyone who thinks otherwise and acts on it hereby agrees to be damned to the flaming tar pits of Hell for all eternity and to forfeit any profit from such activity to myself or an organization of my own choosing. If you have any good ideas about extensions, please send me a nice email with the details and it might get into the next release. Same thing if you run an eFed based on these rules. But please dont pass my work off as yours; first, its not legal, second, its not funny, and third, if you plan on making a reputation for yourself in the gaming community this way, well... Youll get a reputation all right, I can tell you that.

Acknowledgments Obviously, this project draws a great deal from all the eWrestling and other simulated sports games I have ever played or written in the past. It is often hard to pinpoint the exact origin of an idea, especially when one had been doing this sort of thing for as long as I have, so I may forget a few people here; if I do, please write me and Ill apologize personally. Stupendously big tips of the old stovepipe go to Jeff Berry, Bruce Onder, Ben Pierce, Aidan Palmer, Mel Nicholson and Scott Baxter. (Some of them may also expect some stiff chair shots in the near future.) Thanks to Jerone Mitchell for the "real-life wrestler" attribute tables in section 3.0, and to the various people who pointed out inconsistencies or gross game-balance issues (Ran and Jeff Berry, among others!)

Table of Contents 0.0 Document History 1.0 Introduction

1.1 Motivation 1.2 Is eWrestling Fake? 1.3 Glossary

2.0 Basic Elements of Gameplay

2.1 Game Structure 2.2 Match Strategies 2.3 Match Resolution 2.4 Rankings
3.0 eWrestler Profiles

3.1 Overview 3.2 Gimmick and Personality 3.3 Resources 3.4 eWrestler Design 3.5 Fighting Styles 3.6 High Spots 3.7 Weight Classes 3.8 Stamina 3.9 Workrate 3.10 Impact 3.11 Defense 3.12 Initiative 3.13 Finishing Moves 3.14 Managers
4.0 Character Creation Sample 5.0 Match Strategies

5.1 Purpose 5.2 Contents 5.3 Round Actions 5.4 Spending Stamina 5.5 Allocating Workrate
6.0 Match Resolution

6.1 Length of a match 6.2 Stat Checks

 6.3 Pre-Processing Phase 6.4 Participation Phase 6.5 Sneak Attack Phase 6.6 Initiative Phase 6.7 Prestige Phase 6.8 Disqualification Phase 6.9 Action Resolution Phase 6.10 Pinfall Phase 6.11 Sample Match
7.0 Special Match Styles

7.1 Purpose 7.2 Cage Matches 7.3 Death Matches 7.4 Weapons Matches 7.5 Marathon Matches 7.6 Finisher/I Quit Matches 7.7 Falls Count Anywhere Matches 7.8 Ladder Matches 7.9 Best of N Falls 7.10 Battle Royals 7.11 Lumberjack Matches 7.12 Three-Way Dances 7.13 Four Corners Matches
8.0 Prestige and Rankings

8.1 Push Levels 8.2 How to score Prestige 8.3 How to rank eWrestlers 8.4 Prestige Wagers
9.0 Referees

9.1 Disqualification Rules 9.2 Special Referees

10.0 Optional Rules 11.0 Gratuitous Pontification

0.0 Document History Version 1.41 (September 1999)

Updated the sample match to reflect changes in Workrate rules.

Version 1.4 (September 1999)

Added Jerone Mitchell's tables describing the attributes which should be expected
of real-life wrestlers in MERS. Fixed a severe game-balance bug pointed out by Jeff Berry. As a result, the Workrate rule has changed a bit. See Workrate allocation in section 5.5 Added an upper bound to the values for Initiative, Defense and Impact. As per Ran Hardin's suggestion, this limit is 8. Version 1.3 (March 1999)

Some clarifications in areas which have generated questions. Added section 6.11: A Sample Match to further clarify the process
Version 1.2 (December 1998)

First public release in HTML format. Some formatting and structural changes over
1.1; the content itself is essentially the same, except for the fact that all random events can now be generated with standard six-sided dice. Version 1.1 (April 1998)

Minor revisions. Limited release.

Version 1.0 (March 1998)

First draft.

1.0 Introduction 1.1 Motivation The Moonsault Email Rules System (MERS for short) is a new set of rules for Internet playby-email fantasy pro wrestling simulation leagues. MERS is designed to be learned fast, be easy to play, allow (but not require) a good measure of strategy, and be fair to new players and veterans alike. MERS is very much a game designed for play via email, in the sense that players have no real-time control over what their wrestlers do during a match; once the strategies are in, everything is in the hands of the fed-head, for better or worse. As such, it is significantly different from my old PWGA head-to-head system. The Moonsault Project will eventually

include an overhaul of the PWGA system (or, more likely, a brand new face-to-face system), but this isnt it. MERS is targeted towards players and fed-heads who dont have a great deal of time on their hands. What these people want is a game which:

is easy to learn but hard to solve, so that new players can get started quickly and
have a reasonable chance of competing with veterans; allows quick match resolutions requiring very few (if any) judgment calls on the part of the referee; accommodates a good measure of match strategy; provides enough variety to keep the experience fresh for a long time; hopefully does not allow a character to become an unbeatable monster just because his handler stumbled upon the perfect combination of statistics. MERS should be fairly easy to program into a software package; I will certainly do it as some point in the future, so if you are reading this in the Summer of 1999 or later, you may want to check my home page again to see if I havent posted a Java executable somewhere.

1.2 Is eWrestling Fake? In the MERS universe, eWrestlers really fight to win, but they also know that promoters will pay them the big money and give them the title shots only if they can "put asses in seats". This means that winning is NOT everything in this game; to have any kind of longterm success, you must win WITH STYLE. In other words, MERS takes a middle road between the "it's all real" approach common in simulator feds and the "it's all smoke and mirrors" approach taken in real life and in booked feds. This should make the game somewhat unique. I hope.

1.3 Glossary If you are reading this, you are probably already familiar with professional wrestling in general and eWrestling games in particular, but just to avoid confusion, here are a few terms I will be using time and time again in the next chapters:

Booked fed: an eWrestling league in which the fed head "books" the matches, i.e.,
he or she decides who wins and loses, usually according to how well he or she thinks the various players are handling their characters. This is actually very similar to what happens in real life. Some players love these feds because of their emphasis on role-playing, others complain that only loudmouths who can spend dozens of hours a week writing "flashes" (interview segments) have a chance of being competitive. eWrestling: a game of fantasy professional wrestling, where players take on the roles of wrestlers, managers, promoters, etc. Fed: an eWrestling "league" of some kind. Fed head: the person who plays the role of the federations promoter. He or she decides the rules, handles match resolution, and generally runs the game. Flash: a written role-playing segment which describes an eWrestlers actions in an effort to get him "over" with the crowd (i.e., usually the fed head). This can go from simple interview segments to incredibly involved short stories. Club Anarchy and

Blind Melon Chitlin are examples of eWrestlers who became legendary thanks to their handlers writing skills. Handler: a player who "handles" eWrestlers; i.e., everyone in the fed except for the fed head. Rules fed: an eWrestling league where winning and losing is determined according to a set of rules known to all of the players. eWrestlers in rule-based feds are usually created by allocating resources to various characteristics: talents in various styles of fighting, toughness, etc. Cunning handlers may try to find loopholes in the rules to create unbeatable characters and strategies; this results in the infamous "stat wonder" problem, where a few players with really good math skills (or blind luck) monopolize all the titles in a federation, while the new guys and the algebraically-challenged compete for table scraps in the preliminary matches. Some fed heads may program the match resolution rules into software, others run the matches by hand. Simulator fed: an eWrestling league in which matches are run on a "black box" piece of software, according to an algorithm known only to the simulators programmer. Note that a rules-based fed using a secret rule set known only to the fed head works like a simulator fed; this is pretty much how Ben Pierce ran the first internet league, the EMWA.

2.0 Basic Elements of Gameplay 2.1 The Games Structure Game Type Wrestler Profiles Match Strategies Match Resolution Rankings Booked Fed Characters Irrelevant Fedhead decides Simulator Fed Numbers Minimal Number crunching Rule Fed Numbers Varies a lot Rules MERS Hybrid Quick but complete Rules

Fedhead Usually winWin-Loss Record Prestige decides loss Table 2.1 - Characteristics of email games All wrestling games can be characterized according to how they handle wrestler profiles (i.e., a definition of the character and how he behaves in the ring), match strategies (i.e., how much control a player has over his characters decisions during a fight), match resolution (i.e., how a winner is decided) and rankings (i.e., who gets to work main events and fight for championships). MERS attempts to distinguish itself from the other existing email games in the ways it implements these features. The rest of this section gives a quick overview of the differences between MERS and other games; the next several chapters describe the MERS system in detail. All feds allow their handlers to describe eWrestlers in as much detail as they want; what differs is the features that are actually relevant to eWrestlers success in matches.

In booked feds, well-designed personae (and big, funny role-playing segments)

which somehow interest the fed head will win every time. Rule-based feds and simulator feds tend to favor eWrestlers whose numbers fit the rules quirks. The single biggest weakness of most of these systems is that there is a unique configuration that is mathematically better than all the others; the game becomes a race to discover this perfect solution, and once a handler has found it, the game is essentially doomed. MERS uses a rule set to determine matches, but one with enough checks and balances within it to (hopefully) ensure that there isnt a single optimal solution to the rules. A certain type of eWrestler may work very well against another, and not well at all against a third. And then again, only in certain match types, when using certain strategies.

2.2 Match Strategies Match strategy describes the level of control which a handler has over the actions of his eWrestlers during matches. A face-to-face game can allow players to devise tactics in the middle of a match; however, the restrictions of an email league (where everything must be plotted in advance because handlers do not resolve the matches in real time) make this impractical.

Most booked feds have little, if any, match strategy. Those that offer the feature do
so in an informal manner: if the overall strategy seems to make sense to the fed head, it will work. Still, this is at best a secondary issue: if the handler cant get his character "over" with the fed head with flashes, the best strategy in the world wont help one bit. Simulator feds may allow a few decisions to be plotted in advance, but the simulators that I have seen do not do a very good job in this regard. This is an area where there is room for a tremendous amount of improvement. Rules-based feds are stuck in a catch-22 situation: allow too little strategy, and the game becomes predictable and boring; allow too much freedom, and the fed heads job becomes almost impossible because of the large numbers of judgment calls he must make. One of the problems with using PWGA as an email system was the numerous "interrupts" a handler can throw in the middle of a match; for example, the eWrestler who is on defense can attempt to use his Desperate Tag to bail out of the ring. Plotting instructions for all these cases in advance is almost impossible, so the fed head ends up making all sorts of (potentially inappropriate) decisions on his own. MERS allows the handler to specify a small number of parameters for each discrete "round" of action during a match, and the fed head includes these decisions as modifiers in the (simple and linear) round resolution. This provides a surprising amount of freedom, while requiring no undue involvement on the part of the fed head.

2.3 Match Resolution Match resolution is the method a fed uses to determine who wins and loses a match, and how.

Booked feds are again the simplest alternative: the fed head decides, period. How
he or she reaches a decision is irrelevant: there is one boss, and everyone knows it. Simulator feds feed wrestler descriptions and strategies (if any) to a chunk of

software, which crunches the numbers and spits out a winner. Rules feds follow a public set of resolution rules. Again, results depend mostly on number crunching based on wrestler descriptions and strategies, if any. MERS adopts the rules method, with some added optional features which allow role-playing to have an indirect effect on match results.

2.4 Rankings Finally, all feds have some way to determine who is The Man, who will get a chance to Beat The Man, and who will lay down for The Man.

Booked feds rank wrestlers, again, according to the fed heads opinion of how well
players handle their characters. This often translates into a simple win-loss record. Simulator and rules feds usually adopt win-loss records as well. Some (notably Jeff Berrys Blitzmatch) will give more importance to recent results, or to matches against opponents ranked much higher or much lower than the eWrestler, but wins and losses are still the primary ingredient. MERS ranks wrestlers according to Prestige, a statistic which depends not only on wins and losses, but also on how much energy the eWrestler (and possibly the handler) expend on working the crowd instead of trying to win matches, on fans short attention spans, on TV air time, and even on wagers of Prestige points in special matches. Prestige levels have a small but measurable impact on match resolution.

3.0 eWrestler Profiles 3.1 Overview In MERS, the individual wrestler is the atomic element of game play. Whereas other systems have experimented with the idea of a single identity for a tag-team or other unit, I feel that reverting to the basics and defining each character independently allows far more freedom in the long run. For example, there is no need to write a new profile for a one-shot tag-team in MERS. This (apparently minor) paperwork chore can lead to some awkwardness when characters belonging to two different players form the team, especially in systems where one must share his character profile with the other, and potentially give away a competitive edge in the process. Doing away with this impediment may actually inspire players to collaborate on angles on a more regular basis. Making it simple to form and dissolve tag-teams also alleviates some of the handlers natural affinity for inertia, which again helps to keep the game fresh. Those of you who are familiar with my earlier PWGA system will notice that managers are greatly simplified in MERS, for similar reasons.

3.2 Gimmick and Personality The first thing to do when creating a MERS eWrestler is to have a clear picture of the character you want. This means that, before even thinking about stamina points and

fighting styles, you should select:

A name; An alignment (i.e., will your character be a good guy, a heel, a "tweener"?); A hometown, height and weight; Appearance, ring attire and entrance music; A list of favorite moves (particularly useful to the person(s) who must write match
recaps);

A personal history.

3.3 Resources In MERS, all eWrestlers are created equal. Each character receives an identical pool of initial resources, called Training Points (TP), which can be allocated to a number of skills and characteristics. How many TPs do you get? Well, even though this may not quite qualify as the question of Life, the Universe and Everything, the answer is still 42. This value is sufficient to allow you to create well-balanced characters, but low enough to impose tough choices. Note: Should your fed head decide to have pure jobbers in your league (whether as NPCs or as a separate, low-talent division like the rather funny one we had back in the UFWS), I would suggest that you design them as complete characters, but with only 30-32 TPs. This will give them color and may even accommodate the occasional upset victory.

3.4 eWrestler Design OK, so now that you have your 42 TPs, you are ready to design a well-balanced monster to perform your evil deeds for you. You can spend these points on the following:

Proficiency in one or two Fighting styles; A Weight class; Stamina and workrate; Skills in offense, defense and ring smarts; A flashy finishing move; And a manager.

3.5 Fighting Styles A fighting style is a broad category of moves in which the wrestler is reasonably proficient. Some styles are particularly effective against specific opponents or in particular situations. For example, High-Flyers tend to be small and fast, while Blobs are big and slow; a high-flyer can catch the immobile Blob with vicious dropkicks without breaking a sweat, but if the Blob catches up and sits on him, the high-flyer is toast. Other examples: Brawlers are lethal outside of the ring, while Power Wrestlers can tie up opponents in "rest holds" and recuperate. All of these factors are represented by bonuses in the game.

Major and Minor Styles A wrestlers Major style, if any, is his signature. A Minor style, if any, is a subsidiary area of study, or something the wrestler is naturally good at without focusing on it too much. A clash of Fighting Styles between opponents may give the wrestler who is on the offensive a bonus during round resolution. Minor styles only come into consideration when determining these modifiers. An eWrestlers Major Style can also give him a temporary advantage in a small number of rounds in the match, when the conditions are just right to perform a High Spot; the minor style, if any, has no effect there.

List of fighting styles In this version of MERS, there are nine different fighting styles available to eWrestlers:

High-Flyers specialize in moves off the top rope or from the ring to the floor. They
tend to be extremely spectacular, but small and subject to quick pins. Examples include Rey Mysterio Jr., Taka Michinoku, The Great Sasuke and Shawn Michaels. It is impossible to be both a High-Flyer and a Super-heavyweight... Unless you have a REALLY good excuse and your fed head is feeling generous! Garbage Wrestlers are incredibly tough (or insane) athletes who would do anything to win a match and seem to show a perverse affection for pain. Most of them will cheat all the time. Abdullah the Butcher is the quintessential garbage wrestler; in recent times, Cactus Jack and the Sandman have often adopted this style as well. Technical Wrestlers study wrestling holds and counter-holds; their approach to wrestling is almost scientific. Many of them have amateur wrestling backgrounds and are legitimate tough guys. Most of the great champions of the past, including Lou Thesz and Dory Funk Jr., would fit into this category; current examples include Steve Regal, Dean Malenko, Bob Backlund and Mitsuhara Misawa. Power Wrestlers are big, strong guys who toss people around for a living. They tend to be in great shape, but bulky and not particularly fast, and may come from a football or body-building background. Examples include Lex Luger, Vader and Paul Wight. Shootfighters have crossed over to wrestling from one of the various other forms of combat, whether boxing, ultimate fighting or the martial arts. Shootfighters fight in a disciplined, structured fashion. Examples include Ken Shamrock, Steve Blackman and Naoya Ogawa. Extreme Wrestlers take unbelievable risks in and out of the ring and win matches by outlasting exhausted opponents. No one takes his opponents to the extreme better than the amazing Sabu. Tag-Team Specialists do everything in unison and are particularly adept at coordination, whether to double-team an opponent or to keep the referee away from a partner. They tend to be lost on their own. Examples include the Rockers, Rock and Roll Express and Midnight Express at their best. Brawlers beat up people with fists, feet and whatever else is at hand. Nothing fancy here, just pure, brutal, unpredictable efficiency. Examples include Stan Hansen, Steve Austin and Diamond Dallas Page. Blobs are huge athletes who rely on their sheer size to dominate opponents. Classic examples include Haystacks Calhoun, Gorilla Monsoon and Yokozuna. For obvious reasons, there are no blob light-heavyweights, although a 170-pounder who fancies himself a sumo wrestler might make a fine jobber in a comedy league.

Cost of Fighting Styles Each wrestler can buy one Major style, at a cost of 3 TP. A wrestler who has bought a Major style can also purchase a Minor style, for 1 more TP.

Style vs Style Bonuses Adepts of some fighting styles are particularly vulnerable to the attacks of proponents of some others, whether because their training does not prepare them well for this type of offense or because their macho self-image forbids them from trying to defend themselves. This results in a bonus for the attacker in the action resolution phase of any round in which an eWrestler whose Style is on one side of Table 3.1 is actively participating against an opponent whose Style is on the other side of the same row. In singles matches, the two wrestlers are always "active participants"; in tag-team action, only the "legal wrestlers" are actively participating; the rules for choosing pairings of participants in battle royals and three-way dances are specified in the chapter on special match types. NOTE: Table 3.1 is completely symmetrical. For example, High Flyers receive attack bonuses against Blobs because they are so much faster, but Blobs also receive attack bonuses against High Flyers thanks to their enormous weight advantage. Garbage Wrestler Brawler High Flyer Garbage Wrestler Garbage Wrestler Brawler Power Wrestler Extreme Wrestler vs vs vs vs vs vs vs vs Technician Shootfighter Blob Extreme Wrestler Garbage Wrestler Technician Blob Extreme Wrestler

Tag-team specialist * vs Everyone else * Table 3.1 - Style vs Style Clashes Note: In the last case, the tag-team specialist only gets his bonus in tag-team matches; the other wrestler only gets his in singles matches. The value of the attackers bonus depends on the level of Styles involved: Attacker's Style Major Major Minor Minor Defender's Style Major Minor Major Bonus +3 +2 +2

Minor +1 Table 3.2 - Style vs Style Bonuses In the event that two Style clashes occur at the same time (for example, if a wrestler with a major in High Flying and a minor in Technical Wrestling faces an Extremist Blob), only the biggest bonus applies.

No-Style Wrestlers eWrestlers who do not buy a particular style are assumed to have meager training in a variety of skills. This translates into a minor penalty in all matches: every eWrestler of any style gets a +1 bonus in both Initiative and Attack against no-style opponents.

3.6 High Spots Up to twice in any given match, an eWrestler may decide to set up one round of a particular type of action as a High Spot. This gives him a +2 bonus both in the rounds Initiative resolution phase and in the Attack phase if he wins initiative. Exceptions:

Power Wrestlers do not have "high spots" per se; they get their twice-a-match
bonuses in Rest Hold rounds, which allows them (if they win Initiative, with +2 bonus) to recuperate +2 Stamina (i.e., 3 points total instead of 1). Shootfighters can set up their two High Spots at any time, and get a +3 bonus instead of +2, but it only applies to Initiative and not to attack. Think of it as a version of the infamous "getting in the zone". Extreme Wrestlers only get +1 bonuses for their High Spots, but can set up twice as many as anyone else: two in Illegal Move rounds, two in Outside the Ring rounds. Style High Flyer Garbage Wrestler Tag-team Speciatist Power Wrestler Technical Wrestler Brawler Extreme Wrestler Extreme Wrestler Shootfighter Blob 3.7 Weight Classes Everything else being equal, heavier wrestlers tend to pack more power than their lighter rivals. This disadvantage of lighter athletes is partly compensated by their higher speed. Roughly speaking, light-heavyweights weigh between 180 and 225 pounds, while everything over 290 is a superheavy. Situation High Risk Move Illegal Move Double-Team Rest Hold Normal Outside the Ring Illegal Move Outside the Ring Any Normal Table 3.3 - High Spots Bonus +2 +2 +2 +2 Stamina +2 +2 +1 +1 +3 Initiative +2

Cost Being a light-heavyweight costs nothing; a heavyweight, 2 TPs; a super-heavyweight, 4 TPs.

Attack Bonuses Heavyweights attacking light-heavies cause +1 damage in every round in which they achieve Initiative. Super-heavyweights cause +3 damage against light-heavies and +2 against heavyweight. Initiative Bonuses Light-heavyweights receive a +1 bonus during the Initiative phase of every round in which they face heavyweights, and +2 when facing super-heavyweights. Heavyweights get +1 against superheavies. 3.8 Stamina Stamina determines the amount of punishment which a wrestler can absorb before packing it in for the day. Fighters can also sacrifice Stamina to fuel a quick burst of activity in time of need. Stamina costs 1 TP per point. Most wrestlers will need at least 15 Stamina to have a fighting chance in the ring, and the more the better. As a reference, some real-life wrestlers might have stamina numbers like these: Stamina 0-14 15-20 21-28 29+ 3.9 Workrate Workrate determines how much exertion the wrestler can support on a regular basis through an entire match. The activity generated by workrate can go towards reinforcing an attack, working the crowd, improving defenses or making a bid for initiative. It is therefore the most versatile skill in the game, and one with tremendous value. Although it is technically possible to make a career with a 0 workrate (witness Sid), such a wrestler will be very one-dimensional and predictable. Workrate costs 1 TP per point. Workrate can not be higher than the maximum of Impact, Defense and Awareness. For example, if a wrestler has Impact 5, Awareness 4 and Defense 2, his workrate is going to be somewhere between 0 and 5. Evaluation No real staying power Endurance on an average wrestler 60-minute man Gets up no matter what Table 3.4: Stamina Examples Mean Street Posse Val Venis Sting Mankind

Workrate 0-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 3.10 Impact

Evaluation Well-known for a lack of workrate Solid performer Capable of having great matches with anyone Among the best the US has ever seen Table 3.5: Workrate

Examples Sid Bily Gunn Edge Shawn Michaels

Impact represents the wrestlers innate talent for inflicting damage on opponents. It is a combination of strength, quickness, the killer instinct, knowledge of anatomy and focus. Impact costs 1 TP per point. Maximum value is 8. Impact 0-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 3.11 Defense Defense characterizes the wrestlers natural ability to avoid damage; it is a combination of technique, speed, preservation instinct, toughness and anticipation. Defense costs one TP per point. Maximum value is 8. Defense 0-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 3.12 Initiative Initiative represents the wrestlers ability to take control of events in the ring, whether by noticing holes in the opponents defense, sheer speed or versatility. This is a very important skill; wrestlers who lack awareness may not know what hits them, but they do get hit with amazing regularity. Initiative costs one TP per point. Maximum value is 8. Evaluation Enjoys pain Uses minimal dogdes and counters Well-known as tough to hit Employs a dazzling array of counter-moves Table 3.7: Defense Examples Mankind HHH Kidman Dean Malenko Evaluation Not a lot of punch in average blows Has solid strength behind their blows Known for crisp, stiff work Puts people out the sport with his best shots Table 3.6: Impact Example Juventud Guerrera Goldust Chris Benoit Taz

Initiative 0-2 3-4

Evaluation Uh? The match is over already? Can seize an obvious opportunity

Examples Gillberg Godfather

5-6 7-8

Can surprise a man with his second wind A true ring general Table 3.8: Initiative

Kane Bret Hart

3.13 Finishing Sequences A wrestlers finishing move (or finishing sequence) is his trademark. Beating an opponent is always a good thing, but making him fall to ones finisher impresses fans and promoters to no end. The flip side of the coin is that applying a finisher and then failing to win can have devastating consequences, both on the wrestlers confidence and on his prestige in the eyes of the public. Most, but not all, wrestlers have finishers. To buy a finisher, select a move or sequence (preferably one with a flashy name), and spend however many TPs you want. This will be the finishers strength, and will act as a bonus in attack efficiency and in prestige during match resolution.

Finisher value 0-1 2-3 4-5 6+ 3.14 Managers

Evaluation Not very scary May need to be used 2-3 times on top opponents If an immediate cover is made, match is over Take your time, he AIN't getting up Table 3.9: Finishers

Examples Disco Inferno's Chartbuster Sweet Chin Music Stone Cold Stunner Diamond Cutter

Some wrestlers can win on their own, and some others need help. It may be because they have trouble coming up with game plans on the fly, or because they lack confidence, or because they are lazy and want someone to cheat on their behalf once in a while. That is where managers come into play.

Cost TMP managers cost 3 TP and can perform a set of actions which depends on their alignment. If only one member of a tag-team has "paid for" a manager, the managers functions are only available when that eWrestler is actively participating in the match.

Face Managers A Face (i.e., Good Guy) manager can lead the fans in a Chant at the beginning of each

round when his wrestler is in trouble (i.e., when he has just spent a round on the defensive.) This nullifies the +2 Initiative roll bonus which the opponent would normally get. Face managers can also try to attract a referee's attention to an opponent's illegal tactics. The result is that the referee's Patience is reduced by -2 when the opponent has to check for a DQ. (The face manager does not have to use this ability; for example, if his protege is the challenger in a title match, a DQ win is worthless.) Finally, a Face manager can foil a Heel managers sneak attack (and waste it for the entire match) or a third-partys run-in against his protege, 50% of the time.

Heel Managers Bad guy managers are particularly adept at distracting referees. Whenever their wrestlers commit illegal moves or double-teams, the referees Patience receives a +2 modifier (because there is a chance he will not see the action at all). Heel managers can also prevent the referee from counting a pinfall, submission or countout against one of their wrestlers one third of the time (i.e., there is a 1 in 3 chance that the pinfall phase at the end of the round will be skipped when one of their guys is on defense). Finally, these unsavory individuals can perform Sneak Attacks in approximately 5% of rounds (but no more than once in a match.) Sneak Attacks are checked before the beginning of the round, and they replace the entire round when they happen: roll 2 dice, and if the total is either 2 or 12, a Sneak Attack takes place. Sixty-six percent of the time, a sneak attack will knock the opponent to the ground and give the managers wrestler a free pin attempt with a +3 bonus. Sixteen percent of the time, the sneak attack will cause an immediate disqualification. The final 16% of the time, the managers interference will backfire and knock his own wrestler out cold, giving the opponent a free pin attempt with a +5 bonus! For example, a single dice could be rolled; 1-4 means all is well, 5 means disqualification (or, if the DQ is not in effect for the match, a wasted attemps), and 6 means a backfire.

Temporary Managers When an eWrestler hires a manager on a short-term basis (say, when forming a one-shot tag-team with one of the managers protgs), he can "pay for" the managers services by temporarily lowering his Stamina by three points. The Stamina is restored when the manager is no longer in the eWrestlers service.

Ineffective Managers If a manager is barred from ringside, handcuffed to a police officer or otherwise completely unavailable for a match, his protgs Stamina receives a temporary boost of 3 points (i.e., the cost of the unavailable manager). However, if the manager is physically incapable of performing part of his duties because of special match stipulations, the eWrestler does NOT get any compensation. For example, a Heel manager can talk to the referee during a Hell in the Cell steel cage match, but not perform a sneak attack. Tough luck.

4.0 Character Creation Example The legendary Klingon Phaser, winner of the Royal Rumble at the second Summit of eWrestling and a former tag-team champion in four different federations over the course of his seven-year career, has decided to join the MERS federation. His character sheet could look like the following:

Name: Klingon Phaser Alignment: Face Ring Music: The theme from Star Trek: The Next Generation Hometown: Parts Unknown Height and Weight: 6 1",.230 pounds. Look and ring attire: Exactly what you would expect from a guy who goes by
the name Klingon Phaser. Styles: Major: Tag-team specialist (3 TP); Minor: High-flyer (1 TP) Weight Class: Heavyweight (2 TP) Stamina: 20. Phaser is known as a pretty tough guy. Impact: 5. Defense: 2. Initiative: 3. Workrate: 4 Finisher: The Quantum Torpedo (a springboard moonsault off the middle of the top rope), 2 TP.

5.0 Match Strategies 5.1 Purpose Match Strategies give handlers a measure of control over the behavior of their eWrestlers in the ring. Without them, eWrestling is reduced (at least in non-booked feds) to trying to figure out a good character design, testing it in a few matches, and trying again if the results are unsatisfactory. MERS match strategies are designed to be completely specified by the handler; i.e., the fed head only has to follow them blindly during match resolution and has no judgment calls to make. Not only will this make the fed heads job easier, it will avoid bickering about whether or not he has exploited the character to the fullest.

5.2 Contents The match strategy consists of one line per round in the match; exactly how long matches last is up to the federation president, but typical TV show matches are limited to 10 or 15 rounds, while house show matches last 20-30 rounds and some championship

bouts can last 60 rounds or have no time limit at all. For each round, you may specify:

A round action: Normal, High-Risk Move, Illegal Move, Outside the Ring, DoubleTeam, Rest Hold or Finisher. How many Stamina points, if any, to spend to get extra Workrate. How many Workrate points to assign to Initiative, and if you win Initiative, how to split the rest between Impact and Prestige. (If you lose Initiative, all remaining Workrate will automatically be assigned to Defense.) Whether or not to set up a High Spot in this round, and get the appropriate bonus(es). Special instructions for match write-up may also be listed (and will be very appreciated by the fed head.) 5.3 Round Actions

Normal: This is the usual: you try to hurt your opponent using your basic skills.
Nothing special here. Blobs and Technical Wrestlers can set up High Spots in normal rounds. High-Risk Move: You try to cause significant damage to the opponent using a table spot, a top-rope maneuver or something equally hazardous to your own health. You run the risk of missing and hurting yourself in the process. High-flyers can set up High Spots in high-risk rounds. Illegal Move: Use a foreign object or an illegal hold to gain an unfair advantage. Can work pretty well, but can also cause a disqualification. Garbage and Extreme Wrestlers can set up High Spots in illegal rounds. Outside the Ring: Beat up the opponent on the floor, using the ring steps, the security railing, the runway or the concrete. Causes more damage, and can result in a countout. Brawlers and Extreme Wrestlers get to set up High Spots outside the ring. Double-Team: Try to sneak in an extra 2-on-1 move to cause additional damage. Can be reversed by savvy opponents and may cause a disqualification. Only TagTeam Specialists can set up High Spots in double-team rounds. Rest Hold: Do nothing except regain 1 point of lost Stamina. Power wrestlers are particularly adept at locking opponents in rest holds, and they regain 3 points of lost Stamina per round when they set up High Spots in rest rounds. Stamina can never increase beyond the eWrestlers original level, no matter how many rest holds are used... Finisher: Attempt to humiliate the opponent by beating him with your patented finishing sequence. Can only be attempted twice in a match, and failing to pin an opponent after applying a finisher can have dire consequences for an eWrestlers Prestige. 5.4 Spending Stamina Sometimes, a quick burst of energy can win a match. Sometimes, it can leave a wrestler spent and ready for cremation. In MERS, wrestlers can spend some of their Stamina to increase their Workrate temporarily. The exchange is on a 1 point for 1 point basis. At most, Stamina spending can double workrate in a given round. If there is not enough Stamina left to fulfill the

order, no Stamina is spent at all.

5.5 Allocating Workrate A wrestler can spend his energy in four ways:

He can allocate workrate to increase his Initiative in an attempt to gain the upper
hand at a critical junction in the match. He can increase the Impact of his offensive moves to deliver a crushing blow. To draw heat from the crowd and increase his general appeal, he can spend it on Prestige (working the crowd, performing acrobatics, etc.) To preserve himself, he can use it to reinforce his Defense. In MERS, this is represented by two numbers:

How many Workrate points will be allocated to Initiative? If the eWrestler wins the initiative, how many points will be allocated to Impact, the
rest being spent on Prestige? (If the wrestler loses the initiative, all Workrate not already spent on Initiative automatically goes to defense.) If there isnt enough Workrate to fulfill the orders (for example, because the strategy was based on Stamina spending which the wrestler cant afford), Initiative has absolute priority, followed by Impact. New rule in Version 1.4: No matter how much workrate you have, you can not use it to boost any of your Initiate, Defense or Impact beyond the lesser of 10 or twice its basic value. The rest of your Workrate either has to go to Prestige or be wasted. For example, if you have Initiative 6, Impact 4, Defense 3 and Workrate 6:

You could allocate no more than 4 of its points to Initiative (raising it to 10); If you only allocate 1 and win initiative, no more than 4 of the remaining 5 can go
to Impact (doubling it), while the rest must go to Prestige.

And if you allocate 1 and lose Initiative, only 3 of the remaining 5 goes to Defense
(doubling it) while the other 2 are lost.

6.0 Match Resolution 6.1 Length of a Match MERS matches are split into Rounds, each of which lasts one minute. Non-title matches are typically scheduled for 10-15 rounds on TV and 20-30 during house shows and supercards. Championship matches last a maximum of 15 rounds for the TV title, and anywhere between 20 and 60 for the other belts. 6.2 Stat Checks The entire MERS match resolution system revolves around "stat checks", i.e., random rolls based on a comparison of attributes from wrestlers on both sides. To run a stat check, compute the difference between the appropriate scores for both participants, roll 3 dice, add the scores and look up the result in Table 6.1.

NOTE: Table 6.1 is completely symmetrical, so Wrestler X has as much chance of winning a stat check whether it is run by his handler, from his point of view, or whether it is run by the opponent. For example, let's say that we are trying to determine Initiative in the first round. After workrate allocation and other adjustments, El Jobador has a lowly Initiative score of 3, while his opponent Death Vader has 12. We can then roll the initiative check from El Jobador's point of view, in which case he is faced with a differential of -9 and must roll 15 or more on 3d6, or we can roll if from Vader's point of view, in which case Vader, benefiting from a +9 differential, only needs 7 or more. Let's say we decide to adopt El Jobador's point-of-view, and we roll a 12: the stat check is a failure, so Vader gains initiative. (Note that the probabilities are identical no matter which side we look at: the probability of El Jobador rolling 15 or more (i.e., success) and the probability of Vader rolling 6 or less (i.e., failure) are identical.) Difference Between Scores -10 or lower -7 to -9 -5 to -6 -3 to -4 -1 to -2 Even +1 to +2 +3 to +4 +5 to +6 +7 to +9 +10 and over Table 6.1 - Stat Checks 6.3 Pre-Processing Phase Before the match begins, you may want to write down the bonuses that never change: weight class Initiative and Attack modifiers, Style vs Style bonuses, etc. 6.4 Participation Phase Determine who will be active during the round: Roll this number or HIGHER on three dice 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6

In singles matches, there is nothing to do. In tag-team matches, select active participants according to these rules: For the first round, pick at random. The team which was on offense during the previous round automatically
picks the wrestler with the highest remaining Stamina. The team which was on defense during the previous round automatically picks the wrestler who was in the ring for the previous round, unless the wrestler on the outside is a Tag-Team Specialist and has a higher remaining stamina, in which case he steps in 50% of the time (after a "hot tag"). Other kinds of special matches (battle royals, three-way dances, etc.) have their own participation rules. See section 7.0 for details.

Any wrestler who does not participate in the round rests and heals 1 lost Stamina point; however, Stamina can never rise beyond its basic value, no matter how long the wrestler remains on the outside.

6.5 Sneak Attack Phase First, determine whether a Heel manager can strike his mans opponent and gain a cheap win. (If there are Heel managers on both sides, flip a coin to decide who gets to try first). If the Heel manager has NOT performed his Sneak Attack yet, the probability of a Sneak Attack occurring in this round is approximately 5% (i.e., if you roll 2 or 12 on two dice, there is one). If a Sneak Attack occurs:

It succeeds 66% of the time; go straight to the Pinfall Resolution Phase and give
the managers wrestler a +3 bonus to pin his opponent. (1-4 on a dice)

It fails and causes an immediate Disqualification 16% of the time. (5 on one dice) It fails and the manager knocks out his own wrestler; go straight to the Pinfall
Resolution phase and give the opponent a +5 bonus to pin. (6 on one dice) 6.6 Initiative Phase Determine each sides Initiative Stat by adding the following values:

Initiative attribute, modified as per the Workrate allocation for the round. Push Level bonus: +1 per level of difference in Push Levels, given to the higherranked eWrestler. Attacker bonus: the wrestler or team who was on offense during the previous round, if any, receives a +2 bonus, unless his opponent has a Face manager OR he has just missed a High-Risk move OR he has just failed to pin his opponent after using his Finisher. Weight Class bonus: a Lightheavyweight fighting a Heavyweight or a Heavyweight fighting a Superheavy get +1; a Lightheavyweight fighting a Superheavy gets +2. High Spot Bonus: as per the following table.

Style High Flyer Garbage Wrestler Tag-team Specialist Technical Wrestler Brawler Extreme Wrestler Extreme Wrestler Shootfighter Blob Power Wrestler

Round Action High-Risk Move Illegal Move Double-Team Normal Outside the Ring Illegal Move Outside the Ring Any Normal Normal

Bonus +2 +2 +2 +2 +2 +1 +1 +3 +2 +2

Table 6.2 - High Spots Initiative Bonus Roll a Stat Check with these values; the winning side will be on offense for the round.

6.7 Prestige Scoring Phase The attacker scores however many Prestige points he has allocated for the round in his strategy. The defender scores nothing.

6.8 Disqualification Phase If the attackers round strategy calls for an Illegal move or Double-Team, he may be disqualified. The referee runs a Stat Check for his Patience vs the total number of Illegal actions and Double-Teams in the match so far. The referees patience is modified if there are Managers present:

If a Heel is in danger of being disqualified and he has a manager, the referees

Patience receives a +2 bonus.

If a Heel is in danger of being disqualified and his opponent has a Face manager,
the referees Patience receives a -2 penalty. If the referees Patience wins, he lets the illegal action go unpunished. Otherwise, he disqualifies the attacker and the match is over.

6.9 Action Resolution Phase (Attack Phase) If the attackers round strategy calls for a Rest Hold, restore one point of the attackers lost Stamina (if any), score no damage and end the round immediately (without checking for a pinfall). Restore 3 Stamina points if the attacker is a Power Wrestler and he has set up a High Spot in this round. Otherwise, determine each sides action score by adding the following values:

Impact, modified by Workrate allocation, for the attacker; Defense, modified by

Workrate allocation, for the defender.

Finisher value, if the attacker has recorded the Finisher round strategy. Style vs Style bonus for the attacker:
Garbage Wrestler Brawler Garbage Wrestler Garbage Wrestler Brawler High Flyer Power Wrestler Extreme Wrestler Tag-team specialist * vs vs vs vs vs vs vs vs vs Technician Shootfighter Extreme Wrestler Garbage Wrestler Technician Blob Blob Extreme Wrestler Everyone else *

Table 6.3 - Style vs Style Clashes Attacker's Style Defender's Style Major Major Minor Minor Major Minor Major

Bonus +3 +2 +2 +1

Minor Table 6.4 - Style vs Style Bonuses High Spot bonus for the attacker, if applicable: Style High Flyer Garbage Wrestler Tag-team Specialist Technical Wrestler Brawler Extreme Wrestler Extreme Wrestler Blob Round Action High-Risk Move Illegal Move Double-Team Normal Outside the Ring Illegal Move Outside the Ring

Bonus +2 +2 +2 +2 +2 +1 +1 +2

Normal Table 6.5 - High Spots Attack Bonus Roll a Stat Check with these values. Team, the round is a stalemate. Nothing happens. Round over.

If the defender wins and the attackers round strategy isnt High Risk or Double If the defender wins and the attackers round strategy is High-Risk Move, the
attacker sustains 2 points of damage against his Stamina, loses his Pinfall attempt and loses the benefit of his Initiative bonus for the next round. If the defender wins and the attackers round strategy is Double-Team, the defender reverses the move; replay the round with the defender on offense. If the attacker wins, the defender sustains damage proportional to the amount by which the attackers Stat check has exceeded the minimum required score for success:

Difference Base Damage 0 to 1 2 to 3 4 to 5 6+ Bonus +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 1 2 3 4 Situation Double-Team or Outside the Ring round Heavyweight vs Light Heavyweight High-Risk or Illegal Round Superheavyweight vs Heavyweight Hit with weapon in a Weapons Match

+2 +3 +2 +3 +3 + Finisher Value

Outside the Ring in Falls Count Anywhere Match Outside the Ring in Lumberjack Match Rammed into a Steel Cage Superheavyweight vs Light Heavyweight Rammed into a Thunderdome Cage Hit with a Finishing Move Table 6.6 - Damage

6.10 Pinfall/Countout Resolution Phase The attacker, if he has just scored any damage at all, can then attempt to win by pinfall/submission or countout; in Battle Royals, "winning" is merely a matter of throwing the opponent over the top, which is quite a bit easier. If the attackers round strategy was Outside the Ring, he can try to win by countout; otherwise, he must attempt a pinfall/submission. To make the attempt, roll three dice and compare the result to the defenders remaining Stamina on the following table:

Defender's Stamina Over the top rope Countout / Fast Count Pinfall / Submission Slow Count / Climb a Ladder Death Match

0 8 10 11 12

1-2 9 11 12 13

3-4 10 12 13 14

5-6 11 13 14 15

7-8 12 14 15 16

9-10 13 15 16 18

11+ 14 16 18 20

13 14 15 16 18 20 22 Table 6.7 - Pinfall Table Get this number or higher on 3 dice If the attacker has used his Finisher, add the Finisher value to the dice roll Add +3 to the dice roll if the pinfall attempt is the result of a Sneak Attack Add +5 to the dice roll if the pinfall attempt in the result of a MISSED Sneak Attack If the attacker wins, the match is over. If the attacker wins using his finisher, he scores DOUBLE the finishers value in extra Prestige points. If the defender wins, the match continues. If the defender wins AND the attacker has just applied his finisher, the attacker may lose TRIPLE the finishers value in Prestige if he loses the match, and he also automatically loses initiative for the next round.

6.11 A Sample Match This section contains a (very short) match simulation, which should clarify any remaining rules questions. The match pits the world-famous El Jobador, a light-heavyweight Blob from Topeka, Kansas; against the indestructible Death Vader, a heavyweight Extreme Wrestler hailing from "anywhere he damn well pleases". El Jobador's match strategy: in all rounds, go High-Risk, allocating both of his measly 2 points of Workrate to Prestige (none to Initiative, none to Impact). Hey, with a name like El Jobador, you didn't expect a good strategy, did you?

Death Vader's match strategy: 1st round: Normal, 2 Workrate points to Initiative (bringing it to the maximum of 10), 1 to Impact, 3 to Prestige; 2nd round: Finisher, with 2 points to Initiative, 2 to Impact and 2 to Prestige. First round resolution: Participation/Sneak Attack Phases: Irrelevant in this case. Initiative phase: El Jobador's Initiative stat is a paltry 1 point. He receives a 1-point bonus because he is a light-heavyweight fighting a heavywight, which gives him a total of 2. Death Vader's base score is 8, to which we must add 2 because of his workrate allocation and +2 because of the difference in Push Levels which favors him, for a total of 12. From Vader's perspective, the difference in Initiative scores is +10; looking at the stat check table, this indicates that Vader only needs to roll 6 or more on 3d6 to gain initiative. However, he rolls an improbable 4, and El Jobador wins! Prestige Scoring phase: Having surprised himself by pushing his opponent to the mat, El Jobador climbs the ropes and works the crowd for two points of Prestige. Good for him. He'll need the hype. Disqualification phase: As El Jobador's strategy does not call for an Illegal move of any kind, no DQ check is required. Action Resolution phase: No style or high-spot bonuses are called for, so the scores to use in this phase are El Jobador's Impact (base value 4, +0 Workrate allocation since everything went to Prestige) and Death Vader's Defense (base value 6, +4 since all Workrate allocated to Prestige or Impact always reverts to Defense if the wrestler loses initiative.) Therefore, El Jobador's attack is a stat check with a differential of -6, which means that he needs a 14 or more to score damage. He rolls a 7 and misses. If El Jobador's round strategy had been Normal, we would be done. However, since he has picked High Risk, he misses an attempted Asahi Moonsault, falls flat on his face and takes 2 points of damage to his Stamina. He also loses his right to attempt a pinfall. Round over. Second round resolution: Initiative phase: El Jobador would normally get a +2 bonus to this roll because he was on offense in the first round, but since he has muffed a High-Risk attack, that bonus is voided. So, El Jobador's initiative score is still 2, while Death Vader's stays at 12. El Jobador rolls a 7 and misses, which gives Death Vader the initiative. Prestige phase: Death Vader's round strategy in this round is to use his Finisher, the Death Valley Driver, a +5 Finishing move. If he pins El Jobador in this round, he'll score twice that value, or 10 extra prestige points. In the meantime, he scores the 2 allocated points. DQ phase: None required. Action Resolution: El Jobador's base Defense score is 6, to which his 2 points of workrate get added. Death Vader's base Impact is 6, plus 2 points of Workrate, to which we must add +5 because he is using his Finisher in this round. Vader's edge in the stat check is +7, which means that he needs to roll at least 7 on 3d6 to inflict damage. The roll is a 10, 3 over the minimum; table 6.6 tells us that this amounts to 2 points of damage scored against El Jobador's stamina. However, Vader scores +1 because of the weight class difference and +5 because he has just used a 5-point Finisher with success, for a whopping 8 points of total damage! Ouch! Pinfall phase: El Jobador's Stamina has taken a beating, and is now down to 7. However, the Pinfall table (Table 6.7) tells us that Vader still needs at least 15 on 3d6 to pin his

opponent and win the match; pretty good odds of survival. But wait! Vader has just connected with his 5-point finisher, so his dice roll will receive a +5 bonus; he now only needs 10 or more to win, which dramatically improves his chances. Sure enough, he rolls a 13, and the match is over. Vader scores however many Prestige points a victory against an opponent two Push Levels below him is worth in his federation (in all likelihood, not many), plus a +10 bonus because he has pinned an opponent with his Finisher, as noted above. A pretty good deal, for two rounds of effort!

7.0 Special Match Styles 7.1 Purpose At some point, you will want to go beyond the usual stuff and set up a gimmick match, possibly as a feud climax at a Supercard. Here are a few special match types you may want to dabble with; if you come up with any new ones, drop me a line and Ill include them in the next revision of this rule set.

7.2 Cage Matches These matches take place inside a 15-foot high steel cage, to prevent outside interference. Disqualification and countout rules are waived. The "Outside the Ring" round strategy is replaced by "Ram into the Cage", which causes +2 damage instead of +1. Managers have no effect.

7.2.1 Thunderdome matches In this variation, the steel cage is electrified; "Ram into the Cage" causes +3 damage instead of +2.

7.3 Texas Death Matches A Texas Death Match continues until one of the wrestlers is unable to answer a ten-count. Disqualification and Countout rules are waived. To win the match, a wrestler must win a pinfall check on a special (more difficult) row of the pinfall table. The losing wrestler is automatically injured for 2-5 weeks.

7.4 Weapons Matches Some kind of weapon (brass knuckles, coal miners glove, broken bottle, etc.) is placed just beyond the wrestlers reach. The attacker in each round has a chance to grab the weapon; roll 6 or less on 3 dice, and he succeeds. Once the weapon is in play, it causes all damage scored by its owner to be increased by +2. In rounds where the holder of the weapon is on defense, there is a 50% chance that the weapon will change hands BEFORE the action resolution phase.

7.5 Marathon Matches Score as many pinfalls as possible during a 30 to 60 round period. Wrestlers get to rest for two rounds between falls.

7.6 Finisher/I Quit Matches The match can only end on a submission or when one of the participants executes his finishing sequence. Finishers can be attempted up to three times PLUS in the last 3 rounds before the match's nominal time limit expires. Pinfalls are never checked at any other time; countouts or disqualifications are never checked at any time. If the "time limit" expires, the match automatically goes into sudden death overtime, during which both wrestlers attempt to apply their finishers in every single round until there is a winner.

7.7 Falls Count Anywhere No countouts or disqualifications; damage caused Outside the Ring is at +2 instead of +1 because of the extra foreign objects which can be used.

7.8 Ladder Matches A prize (usually a belt) is hanging over the middle of the ring and can only be reached via a ladder. Climbing the ladder is somewhat more difficult than getting a straight pinfall. Damage dealt during a round is doubled 16% of the time (i.e., the wrestler gets hit with the ladder, falls off, receives an elbow drop off the top, etc.) Roll a dice, and if it turns up 6, double the damage.

7.9 Best of Three Falls Wrestlers get two rounds of rest between falls.

7.10 Battle Royale Ten, twenty, sometimes thirty wrestlers are in the ring at the same time; the last man standing is the winner. Wrestlers face each other one-on-one (paired at random at the beginning of every round). The odd man out, if any, rests. To eliminate an opponent, throw him over the top rope by winning a pinfall roll on the appropriate row of the table. Outside the Ring round strategies do not apply in battle royals.

7.10.1 Royal Rumble Begin with two wrestlers, add one every round or every other round, and otherwise apply Battle Royal rules.

7.11 Lumberjack Matches The ring is surrounded by "lumberjacks", i.e., other wrestlers who make sure that no one gets in or out of the ring. The defender takes an extra +3 damage from the lumberjacks in every Out of the Ring round. No DQ, no Countouts.

7.12 Three-Way Dances There are three wrestlers in the match instead of two. For each round, select participants by taking the defender of the previous round and selecting his opponent at random; the third man rests. (For the first round, pick two at random.) Only when one man has defeated both of his opponents will he be declared the winner.

7.13 Four Corners Matches At the beginning of this match, there are four tag-teams, one in each corner, or six singles wrestlers, two in the ring and one in each corner. For each round, select the participants by taking the defender of the previous round and picking his opponent at random. (For the first round, pick both at random.) This is an elimination match; the last man/team standing wins. Everyone who is not in the ring for a particular round rests and regains 1 lost Stamina point.

8.0 Prestige and Rankings Basic Idea Prestige is a measure which combines ring success, flashiness, ability to work a crowd and (optionally) role-playing talent. It provides an alternative to the usual win-loss records, and it is a more accurate way to model what would happen in real life if wrestling was "real". 8.1 Push Levels This is an idea that I more or less pilfered from Jeff Berry; I hope hell forgive me. Push Levels represent rough categories into which a feds roster can be split. All eWrestlers in the same Push category receive roughly equal billing on the cards and similar treatment from the fed. When eWrestlers of different Push Levels face in the ring, the one with the higher push gets a +1 Initiative bonus per level of difference between Push Levels. The following table lists the Push Levels and the rough percentage of a feds roster that should go to each:

Category Main Eventers Stars Mid-Carders

Percentage 10% 20% 30%

Up and Comers Jabronies Table 8.1 - Push Levels 8.2 How to Score Prestige Working the Crowd during Matches

20% 20%

During rounds in which he is on offense, an eWrestler may decide to spend some of his Impact on an effort to work the crowd, perform an unnecessarily flashy move, and otherwise impress the fans and the promoters. Winning Matches Match results can generate Prestige for the eWrestler. Check the following table to get the results at the end of a match.

Situation Win by Pinfall/Submission Win by Countout Win by DQ Draw Loss by DQ Winning by applying a Finisher Beating an opponent of a higher Push Level Beating an opponent of a lower Push Level

Prestige value 25 pts 15 pts 10 pts 10 pts 5 pts + 2 x Finisher value +10 x difference in push levels -5 x difference in push levels

Prestige Wagers and Feud Resolution Matches as appropriate Table 8.2 - Prestige in match results 8.3 How to Rank Wrestlers The Weeks Score A weeks Prestige score is the highest score of any match in the week, plus bonuses for flashes if there are any in the fed. The Crowds Attention Span An eWrestlers total Prestige is the sum of the values for the previous six weeks. This models the fact that wrestling audiences have limited attention spans, while making sure that raw rookies will not shoot up to #1 contender status after a single match (which happened all too often in the UFWS). This also penalizes inactive eWrestlers; as an option, you may want to use the "best five out of the last X weeks" to compute Prestige, much like the ATP did to determine its weekly rankings for tennis players prior to 1999. Individual Rankings Rank each eWrestler individually. Each member of a tag-team scores the match result

Prestige of his team and the crowd work Prestige he has recorded himself. Tag-team Rankings A teams Prestige is the average of the Prestige scores of its members.

8.4 Prestige Wagers In special cases (i.e., the final match of a major feud), two eWrestlers may "wager" Prestige. Both wagers are deducted from the participants scores before the match. The winner of the match adds the whole bounty to his own score for the week.

9.0 Referees 9.1 Disqualification Rules All MERS referees are characterized by their Patience, an attribute which has as much to do with incompetence as it has to do with personality. The higher the Patience, the less the referee is likely to disqualify wrestlers. To check for a DQ, run a stat check between the refs Patience and the total number of reprehensible acts (i.e., Double-Teams and Illegal Moves) committed by the wrestlers since the beginning of the match. Thats the total number committed by BOTH sides, not just those the current offender has perpetrated. If the referee's patience wins, he lets the infraction go. Otherwise, the match is over. The standard, run-of-the-mill referee has Patience 9. 9.2 Special Referees These are tools for the federation president; they may add color to a feud or help spark things up during a quiet period. Slow Counts/Fast Counts Some special referees have an alignment and may give slow counts against wrestlers of the same alignment and/or fast counts against wrestlers on the other side. There are special rows on the pinfall table for slow and fast counts. Smart Referees Some referees are impossible to influence; managers have no effect on them. They may also detect all Sneak Attacks.

10.0 Optional Rules Preamble These are league-management rules which you may or may not want to adopt for your own fed. They are provided as food for thought. If I were to start a new fed, I would almost certainly implement all of them.

Wrestlers and Handlers

No "real" wrestlers, and no obvious rip-offs either. If you must clone an

existing stereotype, at least do it with humor, or mix traits of two or more wrestlers into yours. A bland copy of Stone Cold Steve Austin would never be allowed into my fed, although Cone Stold Sneeve Ausmin, the Dyslexic Destroyer, might be accepted, if I am in a good mood :) No more than four wrestlers per player. Multi-player stables are a lot more interesting anyway. Overall, there is usually room for about 15-20 singles wrestlers and 6-8 tag-teams; with MERS rules, cross-over between categories is easy, and should be freely allowed. Contracts and Matches

eWrestlers who enter your federation might be signed to limited-term

contracts (typically, until the next Supercard). At the end of their contracts, eWrestlers who simply do not work out can be "fired"; others will be allowed to sign on for one more run. Wrestlers who are under contract may be booked into any match that the federation president deems necessary. For example, if one of your players is abducted by aliens right in the middle of a major feud, which is expected to culminate in the main event of your next Supercard in two weeks, you will have every right to handle his eWrestlers in his absence. Even if that means jobbing their lights out until the end of their contracts, and building their opponents prestige in the process. In most cases, match booking is left to the players (except for title shots). Tour Schedules

There should be 1 to 2 cards every week. If you decide to go for two cards, one of them should be a TV show,
featuring lots of hype, a few jobber matches, a couple of name-vs-name matches, and a defense of the TV title. The other should be a major house show (reported in summary form, by a fictitious fan reporter) or a Supercard pay-per-view event, complete with play-by-play and guest celebrities. If you decide to stick to one card a week (a sensible choice, and new fed heads would be well advised to run their shows at that rate for a while

before deciding to embark on a more ambitious schedule), go with a big Nitro/Raw format most of the time, and for a Supercard or house show once in a while. You may also run a bunch of matches "off line" (say, in the weeks house show tour) and only report the results. However, if most eWrestlers only compete in these dark matches, your players will complain, and not without reason. Run-Ins

Run-ins are attacks by third parties during a match. Treat a run-in just
like a manager Sneak Attack (i.e., it works 60% of the time, may backfire, etc.) No more than one run-in against each side in a given match, please! Championship Belts Every fed is going to have at least a World champion and World Tag-team champions. You may also want to add one or more other titles, with or without special stipulations, to keep things interesting. I would suggest the following:

The MERS World Championship is the most prestigious title in the fed,
and it is defended at least once a month at house shows and supercards, against top contenders. The same contender should not get two title shots in a row except in the most extraordinary circumstances, especially if defenses are few and far between. World title bouts typically have time limits of 30 to 60 rounds. The MERS World Tag-Team belts are defended 2-3 times a month, including a TV defense, in 30-60 round matches. The MERS Iron Man TV title is defended at every card, in 15 round matches, against opponents picked at random among the entire fed roster except for eWrestlers currently ranked as Main Eventers. Optionally, you can even bar Stars from challenging for the TV belt, or limit the number of defenses against Stars to one a month or so. The MERS Lightheavyweight title is restricted to members of the appropriate weight class, and is defended 2-3 times a month in 30 minute matches. The MERS Wheel of Torture championship is only defended at house shows and supercards, in gimmick matches. Once in a while, a Four Corners match could be set up in advance; the rest of the time, the match type could be picked at random one day (or five minutes) before the match. The Champions Advantage The Worlds Heavyweight Champion should be promoted to Main Event push level, no matter what his current Prestige, and remain at that level as long as he holds the title. He will therefore gain the bonuses associated with Main Event status. All other champions in the fed should be promoted to Star status.

Flashes and Prestige You may want to give talented (or at least frequent) role-players by giving away extra Prestige points for good flashes. A nice way to do this is to hold a vote and let the handlers decide which of their peers deserve an extra push for their creative angles. Or you may pick yourself and there ain't a damn thing theyll be able to do about it.

11.0 Gratuitous Pontification The Golden Age of eWrestling In the beginning, Ben Pierce created the EMWA, the first internet wrestling league, and the first People fought mightily. And as he contemplated his work, Ben Pierce saw that it was good. But many were the heathens, and few the enlightened who actually knew the rules which governed match resolution, as the EMWAs Tables of the Law were secured in the Holiest of Holy Places, where none may tread. Yea, verily, the ways of the EMWA were indecipherable. Which explains why I never won. And so it came to pass that Aidan Palmer ascended the mountain of Unix, prayed to the almighty Gods of Wrestling and, in a dream, was handed the Laws of the WeWF. Many were those who joined the People in those days; they all rejoiced, for the Laws were clear and simple, and they fought mightily. As he contemplated his work, Aidan saw that it was good, but for the fact that the Laws rewarded and struck down at random. For they were based on an old, expensive, crappy commercial play-by-mail game with no element of strategy or careful character design. Which explains why I never won. Seven times seventy-seven WeWF losses later, I saw the light, realized that I would never win a championship unless I played by my own rules, wrote down the Book of the PWGA, and preached it to the heathens of Usenet. And the People rejoiced and fought mightily. Well, a few of them did, anyway, while the rest paid no attention whatsoever. And thus the UFWS was created, with the legendary All-Jobber Championship and the two-day world title reigns, and in time it was to beget countless generations. Yea, verily, it supported complex characters and strategy in face-to-face games. Yea, verily, its rule book was thick and witty. But yea, verily, as an email game, it stinketh to high heavens. And still, I never won. And then came forth a great Tower of Babel, when countless People created countless Systems and started countless Federations, most of which fell into oblivion before holding even one card. It was a time of great chaos, an evil place from whence came the Simulators, the Booked Feds and other abominations. The great gospel of the Rules hath been broken. By then, I had given up trying to win, and rejoiced in the worshipful newbies who praised my legendary status before pounding my sorry butt into the mat. And so it came to pass that I took one too many backdrop driver bumps all wrong and lost whatever sense remained to me. Yea, verily, have I returned from the netherlands to make with you a new Covenant, and that Covenant is The Moonsault Project. The first milestone in this project is the email rules system you now read; in the future, I may expand it into a trading card game, a Java simulator, and everything else I damn well please. Thou shalt now go forth, and fight mightily; so it is said, so it is written.

Why, oh why, another eWresting rules system? First, because, as a charter member of the eWrestling Hall of Fame, I am entitled to do exactly what I want, when I want, and if that means cluttering cyberspace with yet another failed attempt at a wrestling game, then thats the way its gonna be, and thats the bottom line. Second, because although speech recognition and natural language computer interfaces are a fine way to make a living, I will still die of boredom if I dont create at least one bad game a year, and if Im going to spend all this time writing rules and stuff, I might as well post it on a web page in case someone might wander by and, oh, I dont know, maybe play it? Seriously, though, I created this game because the (admittedly numerous) systems in existence did not quite reach the perfect equilibrium between what I believe are the key features of a simulation game and the needs of play-by-email, namely:

Scaleable strategies, which can be as detailed or as generic as the player wants. Variety in character design. Resource allocation both before and during a game. Simple rules, so that the game is easy to understand. Complex system behavior, so that the game is hard to "solve" (i.e., it is hard to
design the ultimate strategy) and will stay interesting for a while.

Quick match resolution requiring few or no judgment calls on the part of the
referee. This may or may not translate into a software package for the game. Strategies which can be plotted before a match begins and will still make (some) sense no matter what happens during the fight. About the Designer I have been designing, programming, writing and/or producing games for the internet, the PC, broadband networks, the Sony PlayStation and the play-by-mail market since 1989. My published or soon-to-be-published credits include Jersey Devil, Net League Baseball, Quiz Wiz CD-ROM, The Mighty Machines, the World Electronic Hockey League, the World Electronic Football League, PWGA Pro Wrestling, plus at least half a dozen titles for a platform youve probably never heard about, the Videoway system, which I could describe as the great-grandfather of the information highway. If you are in the game industry and would like me to design a game or kickstart a project for you, feel free to write me! This page maintained by Francois Dominic Laramee Last updated September 9th, 1998