Bulldancing and Bullfighting from 3e

[chipjamieson]

Wow - thanks for the rapid replies, excellent advice, and friendly discussion. I've been away from these forums for a LONG time, and I forgot how helpful folks here are. So thanks!

(I became a Savage for five+ years, but I'm getting burned out on the system and wanted to try something with a lot of fine distinction, easy dice mechanics, and lethality - GURPS was it.)

I'm planning to run the Boot Hill module Burned Bush Wells, and although I love the simplicity of Boot Hill, I wanted some more detailed. I'm not sure yet. It takes and hour or two the generate a PC, which is tiresome. But I have a feeling it will pay off.

One I got one of the line-riders written up with skills useful for the period, a lot of it became copy/paste. I then can add some skills for "flavor".

EDIT: God only knows, the PCs will find SOME WAY to use Bullfighting-12 and Flint-Sparking-9 to mess with the bad guys.

[SCAR]

Originally Posted by Kromm

"BY" was a pre-standardization abbreviation for GURPS Bestiary. Note well that there were multiple editions of that book with rather different interior arrangements . . . do not trust any reference you can't verify book in hand. At any rate, both of these would be Sports skills in Fourth Edition.

My softcover copy of Bestiary, which appears to be a first edition, first printing from 1988, does give itself the abbreviation BY, and has Bullfighting and Bulldancing on BY70.

Since the OP was looking for flavour for these skills:

Bullfighting. A successful skill roll allows the matador to guide the bull's charge harmlessly past himself; failure means being gored and possibly trampled.
Cretan entertainers learned a similar skill, Bulldancing; they toy with the animal, even vaulting over its horns, but did not kill it.

[Ashtagon]

iirc, one of these was listed in Greece, the other in Celts.

[Dalillama]

Originally Posted by Ashtagon

iirc, one of these was listed in Greece, the other in Celts.

I thought that too, but my copy of Greece hasn't got it.

[aesir23]

In 4e, I think Bullfighting and Bulldancing would both be better represented as Styles.

Perhaps something like:

Matador 5
In bullfighting, the matador comes out last, armed with a cape and a sword. It is he who faces the bull alone and on foot, and ultimately kills it.
The bull has already been stabbed by a picador with a lance, and should have three barbed spears from the bandeleros stuck in the flesh of its neck and shoulders. Nevertheless, the animal is quite dangerous--being a matador is a matter of life and death. However, the bullfight is a highly specialized and stylized affair, and the combat skills don't translate well to less controlled situations (hence, art skills).
The matador will usually allow the animal to charge, utilizing a Defensive Feint with the cape, stabbing with the sword as the animal passes. The thrust should be directly between the animal's shoulder blades hitting the heart. The bull is usually all-out-attacking, so this thrust is usually a telegraphic attack. However, it is considered good technique to time the thrust with the dodge--so counterattacks and ripostes are common among skilled matadors.

Skills: Cloak Art, Games (Bullfighting), Performance, Rapier Art.
Techniques: Counterattack (Rapier Art), Feint (Cloak Art), Targeted Attack (Rapier Thrust/Vitals).
Cinematic Skills: Precognitive Dodge
Cinematic Techniques: Roll With Blow
Perks: May Riposte Based on Dodge, Unusual Training (Enhanced Dodge-only against Slam attacks when the attacker has moved 5 hexes this round.)

Optional Traits: Combat Reflexes, Danger Sense, Daredevil, Enhanced Dodge
Reputation (Positive with Bullfighting enthusiasts, negative with animal lovers)