Cheers.
I really should dig up the rules again... this game doesn't actaully deserve bottom priority for my time, not by a long shot, but I keep getting creative urges in other directions. I assure you, fans of me, this game is seriously worth getting into.
Combat is very simple. You just needs to do two things each round-
1. Nominate your target (asusming you have one)
2. Nominating where your defence is going (if you are going to allocate any). Defence either comes from a shield (which adds 25 against one opponent) or from taking points out of your offence and putting them into defence against individual opponents (close combat only).
At lower leve,sm it is rarely worth taking out offence as you need all you can get- still, tinker as you like.
You get various bonuses/penalties for stunned opponents, flanking etc. but I work all that out; I also make the rolls and tell you the results. You fight on until stamina loss means you collapse, or something unpleasant happens, like losing an arm.
HOWEVER. This swordfighting torunament is rather different. For a start, you can only used 1-handed edged as your fighting skill. That's easy enough. However, you can only use half of it- because much of the skill that 1-h edged represents is for brutal melee fighting that has no place in a civilised contest like this.
Secondly, you add your Agility bonus onto your skill. Finesse swordplay is VERY big in this kind of contest.
Thirdly, there is no damage and no criticals. Instead, every time you accumulate more than ten points of damage on a foe, OR score a C crit (or better) you score a 'Hit'.
Best of five hits scores you a Game, best of five Games scores you the Match. That's the deal with Swordplay.
It is fought in a fencing-like environment, so there is a long playing 'field' but you cannot sidestep; when you touch an opponent with your blade, you back off- that's a 'hit', as the system simulates.
You don't use shields, either. So all you do each round is decide how much defence to allocate.
Oh, and you fight with No Armour.
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Halatir is a grim looking Lord- though notably more Dunadan-like than Farael, so there is a certain grace and nobility about him (Farael, sabe his dark hair, feels more like a Northman, as you are, Argentis).
He seems to be with a retinue- armoured men in the colours of Arnor and Halatir's household. They are drinking wine, provided for the occasion from barrels (as opposed to slumming it in a tavern somewhere).
He catches you appraoching, without interest.
A-ha! But I didn't give the twist.
Each move, in a Star Wars homage, you must choose whether you are trying to Power through your opponent's guard, to engage in some Classic swordplay, or try to get to one side (slightly) and Outflank your foe.
Power beats Classic beats Outflank- if you outguess your opponent, you get + 20 to your skill.
Obviously, you have to PM me that move in secret. And also... you must keep secret however much you are putting into Defence. Send that to me with the PM also. You must totally outguess your foe without any information from him/her.