DUELS TO THE DEATH
Duels are publicly announced fights between two characters. They are usually announced a week or more before they are due to take place, to give spectators a chance to get to the place where the Duel is meant to take place, and to give the two fighters involved time to prepare, put their affairs in order, or, if they’re a yellow-bellied side-winding two-bit gutless jellyfish, they have time to flee the territory in disgrace, never to return.
Duels can be between two fighters of any kind provided both use the same type of weapon. In the case of martial arts or guns the type must be agreed to include variations in weapon or style such as nunchaku versus unarmed, unarmed versus unarmed, rifle versus pistol. Otherwise the Duel must be strictly between two characters using the exact same type of weapon, style or Power.
Fleeing from a Duel permanently lowers a character’s Fame by -12.
Each successful Duel won by a character gives that character +1 on Fame. Even Aliens and others from different cultures accord some respect to characters who repeatedly face and cheat death in so courageous a fashion.
Because Duels are public and made a public spectacle, they are used to permanently end a dispute that has festered or involved a larger and larger part of the community. Even local government officials or local powerful businesspeople are occasionally involved in Duels. Federal law forbids Duelling, but that doesn’t stop a Duel from happening if the need is great enough.
Each Duel to the death that was declared as a fight to the death beforehand, and that a character wins, and of course survives, costs the character all of their Karma since they have taken a life. However, having “spent” the Karma, this still counts as one point towards improving the Power or attack type they used in the Duel.
Battle Circle: Battle Circle fights are unarmed combat. No weapons of any kind are permitted. A circle formed by rope, rocks, a natural rock formation or even a lit circle of oil or a ring of blades is chosen. Both fighters step into this ring, from opposite sides. At a mutually agreed signal, the warriors come together and fight. Initiative is rolled as normal and after the first attack by each of the two characters the fight must continue until one or the other fighters is dead or unable to continue the fight. The loser is not entitled to a rematch, if still alive, for 366 days. Any title related to unarmed combat that the loser had is now transferred to the winner – for example, All-Territory Bareknuckle Champion, Master of the West Wind, Toughest Guy In Town, Steel Fist, or whatever it happens to be. Anyone else wishing to take that title must fight the current holder of the title to obtain it.
High Noon Shootouts: High Noon Shootouts are one on one gun battles which usually take place close to midday to provide the best possible lighting conditions. To begin with, no cover or concealment is used and the two fighters face each other 10 Areas apart. Each person stands, arms at their side or slightly lifted, with their gun in its holster or if a rifle or other long weapon, pointed at the ground. Seconds pass as the two warriors face each other. Each shooter can attempt Psychological Warfare on the other: a roll on Psyche for each of the people in the Duel. The highest roll gains a +1RS on their first attack in the Duel. After any Psychological Warfare roll, each Duellist rolls their attack. If both characters are still alive after the first attacks they can take cover, advance or do whatever they wish. However, a Duel does not end until one or the other duellists is either dead or unable to continue fighting.