Before I forget, here are our weapons, personal favorites of mine for being the weird mutant cousins of the Cut & Thrust and the Rapier.

The Pallasch, a Long saber with 7s across the board, the Sidesword, a Medium range rapier that can cut in a pinch. It rally doesn't get any cooler than that.

Coming up next the contenders.

(Tough crowd, tough crowd.)

Sheon Pihlava
(Why are we letting a woman fight in the ring? Because Christopher Judge is in the next Batman movie. Damn right I've been drinking officer, you ain't the boss of me.)
ST 5 WP 5 Reflex 7
AG 7 Wit 7 Knockout 4
TO 4 MA 4 Knockdown 6
EN 7 Soc 3 Aim 6
HT 6 Per 5 Move 10
Proficiencies: Cut & Thrust 10
Equipment: Pallasch
Armor: Leather Jack (2)
CP: 17

Karl Tillstrom
(The Dane who slew Legionary Sulla is a hard act to follow, let's see if this guy can keep the nordic ball rolling.)
ST 6 WP 4 Reflex 6
AG 6 Wit 6 Knockout 5
TO 5 MA 4 Knockdown 6
EN 5 Soc 3 Aim 4
HT 7 Per 4 Move 9
Proficiencies: Rapier 10
Equipment: Sidesword
Armor: Breastplate (5)
CP: 16

Ahh, it's one of those days, then. Alright, final bump, then I'll try it again another day.

Before you go, can I ask who you really are?

He hath returned! The prophecies were true!

...Pallach versus someone lacking armor on his sword arm? I have a feeling I know how this fight's gonna end.

>>17499746
Why pallasch is saber if its blade isnt curved at all?

>>17499881
Why, who sent you? You can tell your IRS masters that I'll start paying taxes when they bring back daisy-chain soda can lids.

>>17499884
The pallasch is that sort of weapon, aye, but there's a thing or two here to commend the sidesword.
Mostly the fact that it's basically a rapier with more options. It's gonna be a good fight.

>>17499860
>Ahh, it's one of those days, then. Alright, final bump, then I'll try it again another day.

Give it a chance, most people don't camp out /tg/ waiting for RoS threads. If you start, they'll show up.

>>17499716

GOOD BYE RESTFUL NIGHT'S SLEEP. We got Galt in the house.

>>17499899
Most pallasches were curved, but a few models of them were made that were straight and heavy as fuck. That seems to be what this statline represents.

It's still technically a saber for its relation to the more conventional design.

Oh shit yeah Galt!

NO SLEEP FOR ME IT SEEMS YOU BASTARD

>>17499928
Strange. I always thought that pallasch is just 17th century broadsword in my language.
Realy google gives same images.

On the note of RoS, is there a link to the new scan? I've lost mine in the craziness that was a new computer.

>>17499961
Well scan is terrible, and also i cant buy rulebook in my country.
Shit sucks.

>>17499928
>Most pallasches were curved

What the dick?

A Pallasch is pretty much a staight sword in a conventional euro basket hilt dating from... the 17th-19th century, I think. If you put an actual saber blade on it it's called a: "saber".

>>17499961

It's like the first link on /rs/ when you search for Riddle of Steel.

>>17499980

Thank you, kind sir, and I am downloading now.

Alright, so let's get to the nitty gritty.

The year is 1657. The Swedish Deluge is coming to an end. On their way out of the country, the lions of the north have encountered a problem typical in countries with large slavic populations. (Slavs.)

Karl Tillstrom is one such man, who has become separated from the withdrawing army, and has been running from a vengeful mob for the last week and a half.

Running only goes so far, it turns out. Tillstrom has found himself cornered in a barn by a very angry Polish woman with a sword, who has the glint of uncommon talent in her eyes.

The rest of her cohorts must be on their way. This fight cannot last long, or it won't matter who wins. So think like a Swede, /tg/: Red, or Blue?

Red!

>>17500021
BLUE

THE COLOR OF OUR GLORIOUS FLAG.

I'd say Blue, let the angry Pole strike first, but time is not on our side. Red.

Wait, which are we? Swede or Slav?

Also, does the sidesword parry at 6 or 7 against a pally?

>>17500060
We're the Swede. And probably 7, because pallashes are specifically denoted as being heavy.

>>17500090
Wait, I'm fucking stupid, sorry, Red. More people voted red.

Oh god, even if we can close to our ideal range, she can still draw-cut us for ST+3. Man, that Pallasch....

I say we try to end this quickly. Red, followed by a Beat for 6 dice.

Right, so Karl throws Red. The Pole also throws Red.

Gentlemen, we're where we always like to be. Red/Red. What kind of attack will our dear Nord declare? Then it's down to initiative to see who hits first.

>>17500104
>Red, followed by a Beat for 6 dice.

Actually, noting her CP; better make that 9 dice.

>>17500112
Shit, red red. Her weapon has reach, ours has a slightly better atn. And she's got better reflex. Is there a way to simultaneously defend and attack with just a rapier?

>>17500127

Nope, we're fucked unless her strike meets our torso.

How much do we need to hold back to buy back initiative, assuming we lose it?

>>17500120
There are worse plans than this, because beat halves (in this case negates) range modifiers.

The woman will still declare a cut to the neck with 7, as I prematurely announced before.

So, now we have the fun stuff. Reflex tests for initiative!

So, Karl's reflex of 7 (six plus one for thrusting) at difficulty 6.
Pihlava's reflex of 7 at difficulty 7.

Let's do it folks!

>>17500174
In character we shouldn't know, but it's the enemy's Perception score, which is 5. The problem is that she's actually more likely to win the test for it.

red red is such balls dude.

rolled 9, 10, 6, 8, 9, 8, 8 = 58

>>17500182
The polka at difficulty 7. Let my curse pass on to her!

rolled 6, 1, 3, 7, 3, 5, 2 = 27

rollin for Karl

>>17500203
God DAMN IT Leroy, it's the FIRST FUCKING ROUND and you've already killed us.

hay galt are you still raging at Dark Souls?

Well, fuck. At least we saved enough to try to buy initiative, although she'll probably just buy it back afterwards.

We are so fucked.

Alas, poor /tg/, I knew thee well.

>>17500213
Less so now, I restarted as Wanderer instead of Knight.

Shit is so much easier without being a clunky slow guy.


>>17500203
>>17500210
Ouch. Alright, Doctor Doom, why don't you roll Sheon's actual attack? 7 dice. Decent chance it'll hit the armor and do diddy, but...

You know, I have no idea how to play this system what so ever.

But it is still massively interesting.

>>17500228
Oh snap, I forgot about the initiative buying. Yeah, that's... Only the most complicated thing in the world, but let me break it down for you before we roll any sort of Swede decapitation stuff.

>>17500255
You've gotten rusty, Galt. What would Ayn Rand think?

>>17500254
This is how we all learn. Dice sort of roll around, nobody's sure what's going on, and then someone dies horribly.

So, buying the initiative goes like so:

First, you spend a number of CP equal to the target's perception. In our case, 5. Now, this does mean that we've spend 14 so far, so we only have 2 dice left for the next exchange. (Better make it worth it.)
Then, we roll our WP (which is 4) against her Reflex (which is 7.)
She must then roll her Wit against our Reflex (7 against 6, Jesus Christ), BUT, each additional CP spent can raise this difficulty by 1, in our case to 8.


Yes, this is the most needlessly complicated part of the game. The long and short of it is:

Karl rolls 4 against 7.
Sheon rolls 7 against 8.
Whoever wins this roll is going to win the fight, barring ridiculous circumstances.

FINAL DESTINATION!

>>17500254
>You know, I have no idea how to play this system what so ever.

My advice would be to read a few of the previous Riddle of Steel deathmatches on sup/tg/. That's how I learned the system.

>>17500286
I'm afraid to roll...

rolled 7, 10, 8, 8 = 33

Fuck it.

rolled 2, 2, 10, 7 = 21

>>17500286

KARL ROLL

>>17500286
Even if we win, she's got a pool of 17, and we're only beating with 9.
We might negate the attack, but next exchange she's going to have 3-4 dice left, and we're not going to have any. This is bad juju man.

It returns! :D I missed these. And I see that things have already gone to shit for our hero. Par the course!

rolled 2, 8, 5, 9, 7, 3, 9 = 43

>>17500321
>>17500322
BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD.
(Also rolling for the bitch)

>>17500321
>>17500336
Three to Four. Karl somehow wins the initiative, his Beat goes through!

Roll 9 dice at 6. Each success will lower her pool by 2, and even one success will prevent her from using that weapon for stuff next exchange, thus giving our boy Karl some breathing room.

>>17500336
AWW SHIT

>>17500327
>next exchange she's going to have 3-4 dice left, and we're not going to have any

We'll have two, with which we can Stop Short. It's not the best outcome, but it means we start the next round with initiative. This could have gone A LOT worse for us.

rolled 9, 9, 10, 2, 7, 1, 1, 9, 7 = 55

>>17500358
Denied, bitch!

>>17500384
Alright, that's 6 successes, for a total of 12. The Slav's attack is negated, and as >>17500382 has suggested, you can Stop Short (with no chance of having a lasting impact on CP, since she has 5 left, so let's skip the rolling) to basically skip that exchange, and arrive back at Pool Refresh.

So let's do that. ROUND 2.

Back to full, Karl has the initiative.

What's the move, boys?

>>17500419

Thrust to the groin, naturally.

If I'm reading this right, she just lost 12 dice from he pool, dropping it to 5 and she can't use her sword, meanwhile we have initiative and 2 dice left?

So, either we go low-risk and stop-short to keep initiative, or high-risk and stab her in the balls, hoping she doesn't try something tricky, like try a Partial Evade and pay 2 die to buy init with it.

>what's the move

THRUST TO GROIN

>>17500419
We could try a cut, which looks weak (lol sidesword) and then feint into a thrust when she under defends, potentially decisive, but that would waste a lot of dice.

>>17500443
>>17500453
The stop short was such a given that he assumed we'd do it because we don't want to die, and moved straight to us having the initiative, the range, and a full pool. This bitch is going down.

>>17500467

Yeah, I saw that just after I hit "post". Deleted it to avoid confusion.

>>17500467
Eh, what this guy said. I'm glad that everyone came to the same conclusion though. Simply keeping the initiative through to the next round is a really good idea to get to a full pool without eating saber.

Now that you have a full pool, however, thrusting to the groin does sound like a pretty swell idea...

>>17500495
>thrusting to the groin does sound like a pretty swell idea

This is Riddle of Steel, is it ever not?

I suggest a thrust to the groin with 10 dice. That's enough that she'll have to reach deep into the bag of tricks to get around that one.

>>17500495

YES JOHN, YES, THRUST TO GROIN 16 DICE

I say we thrust to the groin with 10 dice.

>>17500513

She may buy initiative, that would not be wise.

>>17500513
16 would be your entire pool, and would give her the chance to buy the initiative. 10 is a more conservative number, and still significant enough to cripple her pool, so let's go with that.

Against the thrust with 10 dice, Pihlava declares a parry with 14.

So, 10 at 6 for Karl's thrust
14 at 7 for Pihlava's defense

rolled 9, 3, 6, 7, 6, 1, 10, 2, 2, 3 = 49

>>17500553
Phew, was afraid she'd also declare an Expulsion.

rolled 4, 3, 1, 1, 9, 7, 9, 10, 9, 9, 4, 4, 2, 4 = 76

>>17500553
14 dice to stop 10 doesn't sound like a good deal at all.

Do us proud, Karl!

>>17500563
Close, but no dead Polish psycho bitch...

>>17500563
>>17500559
A successful parry--barely, and that is true, an expulsion would've been pretty smart right about now.

As it stands, this does mean that she has the initiative. Karl has a pool of 5 remaining (because of the range cost for that thrust), and Sheon has 3 dice remaining.

The polack, perhaps feeling the heat, declares a simple cut to zone V with all 3.

What will your response be? A bold counter could end the fight right here, or it could result in hideous death. Your call, /tg/.

Okay, looks like 5 vs. 6 in Pole Lady's favour.

Okay, she has three dice and we have six. I suggest we counter the shit out of this bitch with all our dice. If it goes well, we'll at least get initiative back for next turn. If it goes REALLY well, we can bleed her a bit.

>>17500587
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljExTEPNFnM

Don't fuck around with a polish guy making a small attack to the head.

rolled 5, 5, 3, 8 = 21

>>17500587

Okay, countering this shit with all six dice, minus two for activation.

We cannot actually counter, guys. We're using Rapier proficiency. Rapier proficiency *cannot counter cuts*.

rolled 5, 6, 8, 6 = 25

>>17500603
Ignore me, I'm a faggot and got the amount of dice wrong.

>>17500587

Flat parry for five dice, I'd say - it might be cowardly, but it's much more likely to work than a counter. If she lands this, there's about a 50-50 chance of it instantly winning her the fight.

>>17500608
WOW. How did I miss that one?

rolled 9, 6, 7, 8, 2 = 32

>>17500608

We'll follow the rules here, I guess, but that's kind of bullshit. Rapiers can counter cuts IRL. But I digress, and some asshole will just start a debate when we should be FIGHTAN'.

So have a standard parry.

>>17500603

Steady on, let everyone have a chance to discuss it before rolling.

rolled 10, 2, 2 = 14

Here's a roll for the villainess.

>>17500628
Wouldn't be the first time the original printing of tRoS has done something derpy. Rapier also lacks the Cut attack form, Jians are treated like *greatswords*, etc...

>>17500628
>>17500639

Alright, successful parry and we refresh, no-one having accomplished anything so far. Initiative Karl, let's get this shit on.

I'm glad this fight is actually turning out to have some longevity to it, I figured we were gonna be dead after that first shot. *chuckle*

>>17500632
This man has the right of it, though the point on countering is enough that I won't argue it. A parry is sufficient.

>>17500659
This man hass the right of it! Proceed!

>>17500672
Agh, I didn't mean to do the 'has the right of it' thing twice in the same post. Fuck.

Anyway, you know what I mean.

I'd say it's time for something tricksy. Chop at her neck then feint into a thrust for the face.

>>17500671
I'm actually shocked that the sidesword is this good. I never really understood its utility until now, it's fantastic for fighting weapons specifically like this.

>>17500690
This is a good idea. Cut for 5, and then feint up to 10. Should use exactly 16 dice--our entire pool, but we'll win, and it will seem like we left enough that she won't try to buy the initiative.

>>17500690
The sidesword looks like it sucks at cutting, so she probably won't invest too much into it even if we spend a high initial number. How about a cut for 10, and then we just feint it up to 12?

>>17500717
This, despite the rules saying Rapiers can't declare Cuts. (Of course, rapiers ALSO don't NEED to declare a Cut to Feint, so in the end I don't think a fuck needs to be given either way)

>>17500717
>>17500734
Then so it shall be.

The cut for 5 is declared (fuck the police), and Sheon will attempt what she probably thinks will be a decisive Counter with 10 dice (plus 2 for activation.)
Then the Cut turns into a Thrust at 10 dice.

So, 10 at 6 for Karl
VS
10 at 7 for Sheon.

Let it be so!

rolled 5, 6, 2, 8, 10, 2, 1, 9, 8, 5 = 56

>>17500768
If that counter succeeds, we're a dead man. Roll well, little Swede!

rolled 2, 6, 10, 9, 2, 8, 9, 7, 3, 9 = 65

Uphold the memory of Gustav Vasa, mighty Swede!

rolled 4, 1, 1, 6, 6, 10, 3, 8, 8, 5 = 52

Karl, cut this bitch.

rolled 7, 9, 5, 8, 1, 3, 10, 4, 8, 10 = 65

I've never been this afraid of a Polish person.

rolled 9, 6, 8, 4, 6, 4, 10, 8, 2, 2 = 59

OK, rolling for the Pole

>>17500776
>>17500790
>5 to 6

Great. Poland can finally into something, and it's our ass.

>>17500776
>>17500790

WELP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nmFHUbVQtA

rolled 1 = 1

Damn it. We were on a roll, too.
Alright, pulling up the Counter table, and I'll roll just to make it quicker.

For those who don't know quite how Counter works, I'll explain it next post. It's one of the cooler maneuvers, but it's also a bit random.

I feel kind of bad rooting for the Pole now, since I had no emotional connection to the Swede.

Well, great. She's gonna chop our feet off.

>>17500825
Ok, so here's what just happened.

A Counter is basically a parry that hits back. On the exchange immediately after this one, this woman is compelled to make an attack as determined by that table. The counter has a random effect--in this case a slash to Zone I, which I believe is the lower leg.

She adds, not her own successes, but all of -Karl's- successes on that attack to this coming attack, in addition to any she elects to add from her remaining pool. In this case, 5.

So the total number of dice being rolled here are 10 at 7 for the attack. I'll roll 1d6 now for where exactly on Zone 1 the attack lands.

There's a chance of survival here, slim though it may be.

John Galt, are you a Serbian by chance?

>(SARB, fosho
Capcha thinks so as well.

rolled 2, 9, 7, 6, 8, 4, 2, 2, 1, 3 = 44

>>17500858
Oh man hope I'm doing this right.

Roll for the Pole.

>>17500841
These kind of turnabouts are what make the game worth playing. I was sure we had her with the feint.

rolled 9, 10, 3, 5, 9, 6, 2, 4, 4, 2 = 54

Alright, rolling 10 for the Pole.

What's Karl's response?

>>17500881

If I'm reading it right, that's a level 5 wound. To our foot.

Wellfuck.

Does Karl have anything left to respond WITH?

rolled 2 = 2

>>17500864
Absolutely not. In fact, I was born in the very heart of Kentucky. The deep, deep heart of Kentucky. I don't even know where Serbia is. What's a Serbia?

>>17500905
>>17500881
>>17500875
Right, this is... Level 5 is correct. Rolling for location...

That's a strength 10 hit. Goddamn, a bit more and that would've punched through the breastplate. What do they feed people in Poland?

>>17500939
Oh god we're going to be on our back with a vicious Polish shrew standing over us. The horror, the horror...

>>17500939
Ow. Right in the shin.

>>17500939
I was rooting for the pole anyway.

>>17500939
So...she cut off our leg.

KURWA MAĆ!

>>17500947
Swedes.
SPEAKING OF WHICH

>Limb destroyed, instant knockdown

The Polack, after a grueling confrontation of skill, strength and speed that stretched on and on, finally lands the first and last blow of the fight, taking Karl's right leg off at the shin.

With a cry of anguish, the poor Swede falls over, at the mercy of a cruel and vindictive foe. Karl, who has successfully run away from every problem life has thrown at him so far, doesn't look like he'll be running anywhere ever again. But the deathblow to end Karl Tillstrom does not come, for the Pole, realizing her victory, feels an uncharacteristic respect for the disabled nord.

You don't eat a Swede like that all at once. But what becomes of our boy Karl is a story for another day.

>>17500985
God. Death by Polish snoosnoo.

>>17500985
And that, ladies and gentlemen, was a great fight. The closest thing to two evenly matched opponents I've ever seen.

>>17500985
And it ends in guro porn, as it should here on 4chan.

A couple of suggestions for the next, or at least a future, battle:

1) A good old-fashioned full harness brawl between knights. One, an Englishman, brandishing a nice big pollaxe, the other a German and his beloved longsword.

2) A blossfechten Ultimate Battle of Ultimate Destiny between the two most beloved weapons in this game: Longsword vs. Bastard Sword. The former wielded by yet another German, the latter a Spadone brandished by a Tuscan. Two big swords, no metal armor, FINAL DESTINATION.

>>17500939
>kentucky
If you were from kentucky, you wouldn't have been able to spell kentucky.

>>17500985
Oh man, its time for some Katawa Shoujo, reversed genders 1600s Europe edition!

>>17500996
Hail Galt!

>victor., tatoryna

>>17501002
I like the sound of both of these. I will take it under advisement.

Fights between multiple people using longsword/greatsword are pretty much the most technical fuckfests possible, it's awesome to watch.

>>17501003
Did I say Kentucky? I meant Atlantis.

>>17501005
So... you're a Polish noble girl and your task is to beat, and then fuck, the shit out of several guys from different countries? But FIRST, you must make sure they're cripples by any means necessary?

>>17501025
I cannot tell you how totally I am behind this idea.

>>17501025
Yes.

YES.

I WANT TO SEE AXE FITE

Guys, imagine.

The riddle of steel

and

Cyborgs

Man, that pallasch is terrifying. Long range, ATN 7, ST+2 cutting and the Cut & Thrust proficiency, are you kidding me?

Maybe the worst weapon to face for someone who doesn't wear too much armor.

>>17501005
>>17501025
I'm not sure which horrifies me more, the idea itself, or my growing certainty that the idea would sell.

>>17501063
The only thing worse is probably the Katana. ATN 5 to cut, also ST+3 cutting damage with draw cuts.

>>17501063
I myself refer to the Pallasch, the Rapier and the Schiavona as the Holy Trinity of 1H Swords. They're too cool for school.

>>17501063
It's a brute of a weapon alright. Notice that it kicks the shit out of regular sabers, too.

>>17501064
The idea is pretty standard fare. I think it's the creeping certainty that a LOT of people would be into it.

>>17501071
Katana's scary for someone without armor on the limbs or neck, but the no-dachi's even worse. Same base cut mod and length as the pallasch, but with the same Cut ATN and Draw Cut mod as the katana. That's ST+4 cutting damage at M range.

>>17501080
The Schiavona is a weapon for assholes who win with counters.

If that woman weren't polish, I'll bet she'd have been using one.

>>17501118
>The Schiavona is a weapon for assholes who win with counters.

It's Venetian, so being an asshole weapon is pretty much a given.

>>17501094
I might actually use this woman again, in that context.

Especially in a game in which the players are so vested in their survival and remaining whole, a villain whose only desire is to find great fighters (The PCs) and 'collect' then, must be fucking terrifying. You have opened pandora's box on my players.

So, is that it for tonight, or will we be seeing some more action again soon?

> the latter parts of this thread
> implying you need anything but a bastard sword to break this game in two

>>17501133
We have missed you John. Please do stuff like this again soon.

>>17501133
Some polish nobels were essentially crazy and could do whatever the fuck they wanted before the deluge.

I wouldn't be surprised if this had happened.

>>17501140
I've got to kip my ass over to my place of business and pretend to work for several hours. I think we can say we're done for tonight/today, but I'll return once I'm off to continue the glorious business of bringing war to /tg/.

This noble tradition will live again. Thanks for being the first to lend support to the second coming of Steel, folks. You guys are the tops.

>>17501151
Bastard swords are really awesome, but ironically they lose a bit of their full-on brokenness if you're not fighting a guy with hard armor.

>>17501169
Very well then! Thanks a bunch for the glorious slinging of blades, Johnny boy, it's good to have you back.

GODDAMMIT I always miss these.

You fuckers conspire to have them when I'm away, don't you?

>>17501170
>best ATN for evasive attack
>can wind and bind
>decent range
I'd say there's still a lot of brokenness going on

>>17501476
Doesn't matter when your opponent puts 30cp into a stab to the diiiiiiiiiick.

Galt! I have a request! Send two characters from Demon's/Dark Souls against each other. Requesting Beorr of the Twin Fangs, specifically.

>>17501476
Well, compare it to a Longsword. Evasive Attack is still an effective option, it can Wind and Bind too, and the reach is the same on the grip and at the halfsword. In armor, the Bastard Sword is the clear winner; outside of armor it's a much closer matchup.

Fechtbump.

Have a nightbump, enjoyed reading.

Just did a test combat. A Longsword vs. Bastard Sword showdown, but unlike the suggested above 'twas in full harness. Lasted six exchanges before a level 1 wound was inflicted by the bastard sword, ending the fight as it was fluffed as a first blood match. Was indeed a most technical fight.

One more bump before bed.

Fucking fuckers, I managed to miss this! Next time Galt, next time!

Sidesword guy did way better than I expected, but the outcome to this one should've been clear from the start. The Pole had more CP, a better Per and better WP.
The only way to really expect to win with a sidesword against broadswords is to use initiative tricks. No chance of that here.

Sorry I haven't had time to work on tRoS 2nd Ed wiki. Been busy with life. Hopefully I'll get an opportunity to next week though.