house-rules to Rapier's Edge

My favorite part of Rapier's Edge (the last 7th Sea RPG sourcebook) was the LARP rules. 7th Sea would be so much fun as a LARP, and it'd give me excuses to haul out my Pirate garb more often. Just think of the wenching!

Anyhow, so I love that they made LARP rules, but I don't think they were completely ideal. Here's the house-rules I'd be likely to implement if I were to ever host a 7th Sea LARP...

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House Rule #1: Changing the Combat System for 7th Sea LARP

Rather than combat math being Finesse + Wits + Skill + Swordsman’s School, I’d go with:

1. The Attacker picks a Trait.
2. The Defender picks a different Trait.
3. Each player adds their totals in those two Traits.
4. Attacker picks up to two Skills - one offensive, one defensive, they cannot be the same Skill.
5. Defender picks up to two Skills - one offensive, one defensive, they cannot be the same Skill.
6. Totals of Trait + Trait + Skill + Skill (+ Swordsman School if they have one) are now added together and announced
7. Players pick number of drama points they will spend, which are announced simultaneously.
8. Attacker wins ties.
9. Resolution & Damage are handled as detailed in Rapier’s Edge.

Combat may be pushed into multiple rounds, with the following amendments: Each player may take up to 5 steps per round, and may take one non-combat action between combat rounds. Sample non-combat actions allowed between combat rounds include:

• Taunt or Intimidate Test to undermine your opponent,
• Panache + Athletics Test to escape,
• Porte Test to escape,
• Draw a different weapon,
  
• Spend 2 Drama Points to activate your foes Hubris,
• etc.

The rationale behind these changes is to keep Finesse and Wits from dominating. This I saw as the biggest flaw of the Rapier's Edge LARP rules. In tabletop, you could make a good fighter based on any Attribute, but in LARP it was restricted to just those two stats. In a game where ethnicity/nationality grants bonuses to particular stats, it's important those bonuses remain roughly balanced.

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House Rule #2: Symbolizing weapons.
Since a proper 7th Sea LARP is likely to have beer on tap, you obviously don't want players carrying live steel. So, for this, I borrow a page from the earliest editions of Vampire LARPing, by making certain props and accoutrement symbolize other weapons.

• A red handkerchief, scarf or roll of paper is a melee weapon.
• A yellow handkerchief, scarf or roll of paper is a ranged weapon.

Such items must be kept visible and somewhere such a weapon could logically be kept. It can't be concealed unless it represents something (such as breast dagger) that can be concealed. Therefore, you can tell how heavily armed a player is by observing the red and yellow kerchiefs at his belt, but there's a good chance anyone could have a short blade in their pocket.

This spares us all the discomfort of looking at the crappy plastic blades that come from Halloween costumes, and spares the GM the trouble of individually verifying that each sheathed blade is fake. It does mean, however, that ladies may have to think twice about what scarves they use to augment their outfits.

The GM should consider buying a bolt each of cheap crappy red and yellow cloth to tear into "scarves" as the situation demands.

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House Rule #3: Character Creation:
Converting from tabletop is not always that clean, and does an uneven job of keeping characters balanced. Therefore, if you're going to convert, it's best to have the GM make all the PCs. Alternately, the following optional creation system should generate fairly balanced characters:

1. Choose a Nationality.
2. Choose a Background. Each player gets exactly 1.
3. Choose to have a Hubris, a Virtue, or both. (You cannot choose to have none).
4. Determine points and spend them on Traits, Skills, Sorcery, Swordsmanship, and Advantages.
5. Determine starting Wealth.

Backgrounds pay XP, so they are limited for the sake of long-term campaign health. For a one-shot or a game small enough for the GM to track every PC closely, the "each player gets exactly 1" rule could be ignored.

PCs start with 20 points if you have both a Virtue and a Hubris. They start with 22 points if they choose only a Hubris, 18 points if they chose only a Virtue. This system makes Arcana far more common, so that Fate Witches (especially half- or double-blooded ones) have more to do.

• Your default if you spend no points in a Trait (aka Attribute) is a “1”.
• Increasing a Trait to Rank 2 costs 3 points
• Increasing your National Trait to Rank 2 costs 2 points
• Increasing your National Trait to Rank 3 costs 3 points more (5 points total)
• Only your National Trait may be Rank 3 at Character Creation
  

• Buying a Skill costs 2 points
• Increasing a Skill to Rank 2 costs 2 points more (4 Points total)
• Increasing a Skill to Rank 3 costs 3 points more (7 Points total)

• Full-blooded sorcery costs 8 points
• Half-blooded sorcery costs 4 points
• Double-blooded sorcery costs 8 points

• Your Nation’s Swordsman School’s cost 5/9/13 points depending on Mastery level.
• Swordsman’s School’s from other Nations cost 7/11/15 points.

Advantages are chosen from this list:

• Academy: 4 Points (3 points for Eisen): You may buy and upgrade Martial Skills for 1 point less (Total cost of 2 points to get to rank 2, 4 to get to rank 3).
• Appearance: 3 Points: +1 on all Social Challenges. 7 points: +2 on Social Challenges
  
• Citation: 1 Point: Your Reputation is +1 Rank.
• Connections: 1 Point/Rank, Max Rank=Panache, : Each Rank gives you an NPC Ally.
• Commission: 1 to 3 Points: You gain Wealth equal to your Commission, and may call in Favors from NPCs.
• Dangerous Beauty: 1 Point: +1 on Seduction Tests
• Dracheneisen, Minor: 4 Points: +1 bonus in Combat (+1 TN to be hit by ranged)
• Dracheneisen, Major: 8 Points: +1 bonus in Combat (+1 TN ranged), -1 Damage if you are hit
• Faith: 1 Point: Only the GMs know what this does. Have Faith, and perhaps it will be rewarded.
• Foul Weather Jack: 2 Points: This functions just like a Background.
• Indomitable Will: 1 Point: +1 to resist Social effects.
• Inheritance: 2 Points: You start with Wealth:4, but it decreases whenever you spend level 2+
• Keen Senses: 2 Points: +1 on non-combat tests involving your senses
• Linguist: 1 Point: You speak all the common Thean languages.
• Large: 1 Point: +1 on Intimidation, +1 Damage when you hit in Melee
• Left Handed: 2 Points: +1 on Combat when using a weapon in your left hand
• Legendary Trait: 1 Point: Pick a Trait. It may be raised to level 4 by spending experience later.
• Membership: 1 Point: Pick a group to belong too. The GM will have details.
• Noble: 3 Points (2 if have Sorcery, Castillian Education, or Dracheneisen): You gain Wealth:4 and a Deed to a plot of land somewhere.
• Ordained: 4 Points : You have Wealth:1, Get +1 on social tests vs those of your Faith, and get Rank 1 Scholar skill for free.
• Patron: 1 Point: You have Wealth:2
• Scoundrel: 3 Points: You have the Streetwise Skill for free, and get -1 Reputation.
• Small: 1 Point: +1 on any test where being small could help: stealth, shadowing, dodging, etc - However, you do -1 damage whenever you hit in Melee.
• Toughness: 1 Point: You have an extra “Bruised” health level - i.e., it takes 3 damage to harm you.
• University: 4 Points (3 points for Castillians): You may buy and upgrade Civil Skills for 1 point less (Total cost of 2 points to get to rank 2, 4 to get to rank 3).

Wealth is a new stat that can be used for in-character purchases. The mechanics of doing so work similar to skill tests. If you have the advantages of Nobility, Inheritance, Comission, or Patron, they grant Wealth. Likewise, Merchants may draw Wealth from their skills.

• Nobility grants Wealth Rank 4.
• Inheritance grants Wealth Rank 4, but each time you spend at Rank 2+, the Rank drops permanently.
• Patron grants Wealth Rank 2.
• Commission grants Wealth Rank equal to your Commission Rank.
• Merchants have Wealth equal to their rank in the Merchant skill.

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Everything else is per Rapier's Edge and/or 7th Sea.