31 Jan 2001 0900H. Monroeville, Pennsylvania.
The team’s mission: Locate for recovery one or both of the pre-war government stockpiles in southwest Pennsylvania. One lead they had was the renegade Congressman Fitzpatrick, who helmed the largest marauder group anybody had heard of. The “Allegheny Warlords” they were called, and were as much a nascent government than a marauder gang.
It was widely believed that the mysterious Colonel White (“The White Death“) was the puppetmaster behind Fitzpatrick.
The Fire Knights were still tromping around the Alleghenies, in the region controlled by Alli’s Rangers. They’d checked out two candidate cache sites, but no joy. The team’s CO, Moss, had heard from “Alli” (Allison Sanders) that the White Death was hosting a fighting tournament in Monroeville.
In the spirit of “hiding in plain sight”, Moss sent some team members to the tournament, in the hopes of getting eyes on either figure, and collecting general intel.
The Allegheny Warlords have established their headquarters in the village of Monroeville, an eastern suburb of Pittsburgh. There, one of the predominant symbols of prewar American culture – a huge, indoor shopping mall – has been transformed into Fitzpatrick’s court. Repeatedly looted by vandals and rioting mobs during the panics and evacuations of 1997, little is left but the shell of the building complex, but it is here in the mall’s central court that Congressman Jeremy Fitzpatrick, represented by his chief administrator and chief of staff, Colonel White, receives other marauder band leaders, dispenses justice among the bands, and entertains guests with executions and fights to the death arranged between captives.
Scrimmage
I decided that this tournament, comprised of fighters and not captives, would not be to the death. It’s an excuse to practice Twilight 2000 4th edition close combat rules while also pushing the story forward.
What we’re playing:
Allegheny Uprising (1987). Out of print. Sometimes I have this title in stock. It’s also available in PDF at DriveThruRPG ($10), or as part of the official CD-ROM Twilight 2000 1e compilation ($35).
Twilight 2000 4e core box set. I have these in the shop ($45).
Flyover
On their way to the match, I tried out an encounter from Soldiers, Farms, and Refugees, a third party T2000 encounter aid available on DTRPG ($6 – 208 pages).
I rolled “Aircraft Flyover” and decided it was a small Cessna heading East. And soon it was gone.
MMA in Twilight 2000
Close Combat rules are on pages 62-63 of the Player’s Guide.
Match 1
My son’s new character Barukh Idan vs Marauder NPC (Player’s Guide, page 37). Barukh won Initiative, and went for a Grappling attack. We found out quickly how devastaing that move is… in the right circumstances.
GRAPPLING
As a slow action, you can attempt to grapple your opponent. Roll for CLOSE COMBAT. No weapon can be used. The grapple can be blocked. If the attack succeeds, both of you fall to the ground. The opponent drops any weapon they were holding and cannot move. The only action they can perform is to try to break free – which is a slow action and requires them winning an opposed CLOSE COMBAT roll against you. While you are grappling, the only action you can perform is a grapple attack. This works as a normal unarmed attack but is a fast action and cannot be blocked.
Barukh quickly got the less-skilled marauder in a grapple, and the opponent was unable to break free. In 4e combat, you get 1 slow action and 1 fast action. A slow action can be converted into 1 fast action.
(In close combat, the fast action often gets used in blocking, or held for later in the turn to block against a lower-initiative opponent.)
But when Barukh got his opponent into submission – and didn’t need to worry about blocking – the next turn he was able to make 2 grapple attacks, since they are fast actions. His opponent soon tapped out.
Match 2
Blake Davis, my brother’s new roll-up agent PC, is terrible at Close Combat. Doesn’t even have skill, so can only roll his ability die. I lined up a similarly weak Hunter NPC as his opponent.
Neither could hardly land a blow on the other, lots of whiffing. After a few rounds the crowd grew bored, and began booing. The dopes got shooed out of the ring.
Match 3
Wojciech spotted Fitzpatrick and Col White observing the proceedings. He challenged White to a fight.
From the module, The White Death is noted as “A long time student of kung fu before the war, White has a BC skill of 80 and is a dangerous opponent.” I gave him appropriate stats in 4e.
Wojciech immediately went for a grapple, but didn’t connect the first time. Later he “Pushed” his roll (a risky “do-over” in 4e that can either end well or badly) and got White in a grapple. White broke free, but Wojciech got him in a grapple again. Eventually White tapped out.
My mistake was not having White push his rolls. Generally only PCs can push their rolls, but it is noted that special NPCs should be allowed to do as as well.
I had White act uncharacteristically gracious in defeat.
Match 4
Barna Aron vs skilled brawler NPC. This time, I said no grapples. It was a beat down over several turns, and BA emerged bruised but victorious.
Match 5
Wojciech vs Special Forces NPC, both armed with clubs. In addiiton to whacking each other, they made use of the Shoving and Disarming rules.
SHOVING
As a fast action, you can try to shove or trip an enemy to the ground. Roll for CLOSE COMBAT. If your opponent has higher STR than you, two [successes] are required to succeed, otherwise one is enough. If you are successful, your opponent falls to the ground. The shove action itself causes no damage, and any additional [successes] have no effect. Your opponent can block the attack.
DISARMING
As a fast action, you can try to wrestle a weapon or other object from your opponent’s hands. Roll for CLOSE COMBAT. Dislodging an item held in one hand requires one [success] , while two [successes] are required if it’s held in two hands. If you succeed, your opponent drops the item, which lands on the ground in the same hex. The disarm action itself causes no damage, and any excess [successes] have no effect. Your enemy can block your attempt to disarm them.
Mid-fight Wojciech disarmed his opponent, and finished him off with a grapple attack.
My brother pointed out that, while grapples seem overpowered, they’re only useful in a 1-on-1 fight. Being on the ground is foolish if other melee opponents are nearby. The rules note: “Close combat attacks against a prone target get a +2 modifier.“
See Also:
Some earlier melee encounters the party had under the Twilight 2000 v2.2 rules.
From Poland to America: Our Classic Twilight 2000 RPG Campaign 