[Martial Arts] Contest of Wills

[DouglasCole]

Obviously this isn't any sort of official whosiwhatisis, but...

If you lose the contest of wills, the "genre" more or less says that that fight is a foregone conclusion...and you're not going to end up happy. You will likely end up spread out in pieces on the ground, and given samurai anime and movies, possibly in (several) trees.

I'd have the penalties from the Contest of Wills last up to something happens to change the loser's morale state. Maybe he rolls a critical on attack or defense, or maybe his opponent rolls a critical MISS. All of a sudden he thinks his destiny isn't quite written yet, and either the penalties just go away, or another Contest of Wills ensues, as they size each other up again.

So basically the penalties to skill and other actions are because in your mind, you've already lost. This is self-fulfilling...so I'd make the penalties stick.

[Dorin Thorha]

I really like the idea of a battle with alternating advantages, depending on who won the last contest. It provides a way of simulating the way movie battles often go, with first one and then another person pushing forward, while the other takes all-out defenses and retreats.

[Mailanka]

Originally Posted by DouglasCole

I'd have the penalties from the Contest of Wills last up to something happens to change the loser's morale state.

You know, that's a really cool take. That means your team mascot or cool mentor can make, say, a leadership or public speaking check to talk you out of your demoralized state, and that's very genre appropriate.