Dueling in New Reno gives characters a chance to go one-on-one against each other in combat. Duels are completely governed by dice rolls, unlike quests which may sometimes be completed without rolling once. Before you decide you want to start dueling, please familiarize yourself with the game’s stats.

Types of Duels

There are three types of duels that can be held: KO-only Duels, Death Duels, and Permanent Death duels.

KO-only duels are automatically entered at levels 1 through 7. This allows most new players to get a feel for the system without losing a life if they do not win the duel. A KO duel normally runs until one character is reduced to 10 base HP or lower. At this time, the GM will stop the fight and award both participants their earned rewards. The loser of the match is knocked unconscious and remains at 10 HP.

Death duels end when a character reached 0 HP. The only difference is that a character at 0 HP is declared dead and a life is deducted from their sheet. Anyone level 8 and up is automatically entered into a Death Duel unless fighting someone level 7 or below (then a death duel must be requested). If a character is knocked out (e.g., by Non-Lethal Shot or Flat of the Blade), the one remaining conscious wins the fight.

Perma-Death duels. These result in just what they say -- a permanent death. These are held for one reason only: two characters can not stand one another and want to end each others' lives forever. Both players MUST agree to a permadeath duel. This works exactly as a regular duel in all other aspects. When one character is declared dead, their sheet will be placed into the graveyard. The player will no longer be able to play that character, and they then register a new character to play.

Betting

Some GMs may allow betting on duels. The GM will announce whether or not they are taking bets before the duel. Bets must be PMed to the GM when called for, usually before or while the GM takes the stats of the fighters. The rules for betting are:

1. The duelers must be within 2 levels of each other for bets to be placed (e.g., a level 7 fighting a level 5 can be bet on). This is subject to GM discretion; a GM always retains the rights not to allow bets for a duel for any reason, and a GM may allow (in rare cases) bets to be placed on a fight where the characters are more than 2 levels apart.
2. No more than $100 may be placed as a bet. The GM may offer odds on bets, in which case, you can have no more than $100 payout. For example, if a fighter is the underdog with 2:1 odds against him, you can only bet $50 on the fighter, but will get $100 payout if he wins. Alternately, you must bet $200 on the opponent to get a $100 payout.
3. Better must RP two or three full paragraphs of betting before the duel begins, and a paragraph or two after. You must also PM the bet to the GM running the duel.
4. Bets cannot be placed once the duel gets underway -- meaning, if the GM has already asked for the Initiative to be rolled, no one may place a bet. (Usually the GM will announce that bets are closed before the Initial is rolled.)
5. Duellers cannot bet against themselves.
6. Bettors can not change their bet once the duel has started. After Initiative is rolled, the bet is set in stone and can not be changed at all.

Calculating Stats

Stats will be taken from the two fighters before the duel even goes as far as the initial roll. These stats consist of Max HP and Base HP, items and weapons, any skills that are duel-related, Gang, character flaws and edges (see Races section of the rules), a "Fighting Name", Level, and finally the registered character name.

Max HP is calculated by taking your base HP (the value found on your sheet), and adding your total armour bonuses to it. For example, Mike has a base HP of 100. He has a suit of Titanium armour, which gives him +200. His Max HP is 300.

Your damage is calculated by taking your base damage (the value found in the damage charts, according to stats: strength for melee and unarmed, perception for all ranged weapons) and adding in your weapon’s damage (listed in the weapon description in the shop).

For example, Mike has 61 strength which gives him 35 base damage with his fists or with a melee weapon. He has a hattori katana, which gives him +55 dmg. 35 + 55 = 90 dmg, his total damage for each attack.

Some GMs will use the Sliding Scale for damage. This means that some hits will still hit the opponent but for less than max damage. The Sliding Scale damage is calculated as follows:

Beginning the Duel

The GM will begin the duel after they have received stats from both fighters. To begin, the GM calls for an Initiative roll. Initiative is rolled as a d20 with bonuses from luck, level, and agility (Luck/Level/Agility). This determines who goes first. If one of the fighters has the Quickdraw skill and is using a pistol, they will automatically win initiative. If this is the case for both fighters, initiative will be rolled normally. Forearm holsters give 1 free shot with a pistol before initiative is rolled (this counts as an attack; no actions may be used with this free shot), and this attack can only be dodged.

Winner of the Initiative roll (known as the Attacker) will begin the fight, and has a few options to choose from on their turn.

A) Attacking. Using their weapons or skills they may attack their opponent in a few ways. You can attack four times, use two actions, attack twice and use one action, or use a full-round action. Most skills take one action unless otherwise stated. The attacker gains a damage bonus based on the Luck stat (see chart).
B) Use an item. Items require one action to use (unless otherwise specified), leaving two attacks OR another action.
C) Turn over initiative. The attacker gives initiative to the opponent, and the opponent is now the Attacker.
D) Use a Skill. Certain skills are allowed in duels and have different effects. Be sure to verify with the GM on which Skills can be used in the duel if you are not sure which ones can be used. These skills require one action to use (unless otherwise stated) and can leave you with at the least 2 attacks or one more action to use.
E) Do nothing. This gives the opponent the opportunity to do whatever they want.
F) Yield. This gives the win to the fighters’ opponent, but can only be done by the Attacker. It is possible that a GM will allow the opponent to have the option to refuse a yield, at which point, the match will continue, and it will be the opponent's turn to be the Attacker. After all, typically, the Coliseum is a place for bloodsports. However, in more structured tournaments, once a fighter has yielded, typically the match is instantly over, and the Coliseum officials will intervene if someone tries to continue the match.

The opponent (called the Defender) then posts his defense. His/her options after the attacker has declared their actions are:

A) Counter-attack. The counter-attacker receives no damage bonus based on Luck. If the Defender chooses to counter attack, the Defender will remain as the Defender in the next round. Note that you cannot counterattack more times than the Attacker attacked you. If the Attacker attacked you twice, you can only counter twice or use an action to counterattack. If the Attacker used a skill that requires an action, you can counterattack twice or use a counterattack skill that requires an action.
B) Dodge. The opponent may make Agility/Level/Luck rolls equal to the number of attack rolls to see if they can dodge the attacks. (the only exception to this is the unarmed skill ‘The ‘Ol one-two’, where the attacker gets 2 extra, un-dodgeable attacks). If the dodge roll is higher than the attack roll, that means the attack is dodged (a Nat 20 on an attack will always hit, even if the Dodge roll is higher than the modified attack roll. A Nat 20 dodge roll will also always dodge. However, if both the attack and the dodge are Nat 20's, then the modified rolls are compared). If you dodge an attack that takes up an action, the dodge also takes an action as well. This is the same for full-round skills. So, for example, if the Attacker uses Bonebreaker (which takes a full round to use), if you choose to dodge the Bonebreaker, it will also take the full round.
C) Use an Item. If the defender uses an item, they still can dodge two attacks, which will make them the Attacker next round. If they use an item and counter-attack or use two items, they will still be the Defender next round.
D) Use a skill. Generally this results in a loss of initiative unless stated ot herwise.
E) Do nothing. The Defender then takes all applicable damage.

Keep in mind that you can dodge some attacks and counter-attack other attacks. Suppose Janie attacks Sam four times. Sam can try to dodge the first two attacks and counterattack the second two. Sam will then be the Defender in the next round again.

If Player A, the attacker, takes the round to use two Stim, and Player B, the Defender, does the same, then in the next round, Player B is the attacker.

A note regarding order of actions: Attacks from the Attacker are assumed to land before the attacks of the counter attacker (ex. A = attacker, C = counter attacker, 4 attacks each would land like so: A C A C A C A C)

Always wait for the GM to tell you to post or roll. To post actions, you should first describe your character's actions, and then at the end of the paragraph, you should post a summary of the actions. For example:

Suzie yelled out in anger. She knew this was going to be a hard fight to win, so she levelled off her H&K at her opponent's head. With passion, she pulled the trigger once, then again. Two bullets flew out, and she changed to aim at his stomach. Two more gunshots rang out in the Coliseum. (4x 35)

John was starting to panic as he bled. His opponent's guns were vicious, and a previous gunshot had caught him in the leg. Instead of opening himself up, he started to run across the arena, giving her a moving target to hit. (4x dodge)

A round counts as one character being the Attacker and one being the Defender. This is different from Quest rounds.

Battle Tactics

Another option open to both attacker and defender are battle tactics. Tactics function much in the same way as skills, however they do not require purchase. Anyone of any specialty can use a tactic. Tactics require certain rolls to be made. Below are a list of tactics which may change as tactics are added, revised or removed.

Disarm
Description: Using any available tactic (knocking the weapon away, striking the opponent's hand, or simply wrenching it from their grip and throwing it) you are able to remove the weapon from your opponent and toss it away from them.
Required init: Attacker or defender
Advantage: On a successful roll of 15+, the opponent's weapon is knocked away and requires one action to pick up. On a Nat. roll of 19-20, or a modified roll of 25+, the weapon is knocked farther away and requires a full round to pick up. Anyone can attempt to pick up the weapon. If two people go for the weapon at the same time, they will make opposed Agility/Level/Luck rolls. The highest modified roll gets to the weapon first. Tied rolls will be determined by the attack order.
Roll: Luck/Level/Str -4 (for Melee and unarmed attacks) or Luck/Level/Percep -4 (for ranged attacks)
Actions: One action
Limit: None.

Mud in the Eyes
Description: A fighter grabs a handful of mud, dirt, or whatever they can get their hands on and throws it into the eyes of their opponent to blind them, irritate their nasal membranes, and make them start to choke and cough.
Required init: Attacker or defender
Advantage: Opponent gets -2 to hit for 2 rounds
Roll: Perception/Level/Luck
Actions: One action
Limit: 1 every 2 duel rounds

Playing Possum
Description: The defender takes the attacker's first hit and pretends to be taken out by it. If the attacker falls for the ploy, the defender can easily spring up and surprise them with two quick attacks while avoiding any further hits. This gives them the advantage to keep attacking due to the enemy's surprise.
Required init: Defender only
Advantage: Negates all attacker’s strikes (except the first one) and gives defender initiative
Roll: Defender rolls Luck/Level to play possum; the attacker rolls Luck/Level/Int to spot the possum roll. If the possum roll fails or the attacker's spotting roll is higher than the possum roll, the rest of the attacker's hits go ahead as normal, and the defender's counterattacks happen as normal as well. If the possum roll succeeds and the attacker's roll is lower than or equal to the possum roll, the defender can continue the rest of his turn, and the rest of the attacker's rolls are negated. In this case, even if the defender counterattacks, the defender gets the initiative next round. If the possum roll fails or the Attacker's spot roll is higher than the possum roll, the Attacker will retain initiative next round.
Actions: One action
Limit: 1 every 3 duel rounds

Steal and Strike
Description: The fighter struggles close up with his or her opponent. During the struggle they grab the opponent's weapon and strike them.
Required init: Attacker or defender
Advantage: The user of this skill gets two attacks with the opponent’s weapon and prevents the opponent from attacking or counterattacking for those two strikes. (opponent still retains use of their weapon once the turn ends)
Roll: Luck/Level/Str to steal, Luck/Level/ either Str or Perception to attack with it, depending on the weapon (this counts as counterattacking if you are the defender). The opponent rolls Luck/Level/Str to block the steal. If the steal is blocked, the opponent continues with his attacks/actions as normal.
Actions: One action
Limit: 1 every 2 duel rounds

Feint
Description: The attacker fakes a shot to one part of the body, and as the defender goes to defend that shot, they attack another part of the body that's been left open, catching the opponent off guard.
Required init: Attacker only
Advantage: The Attacker feints an attack to one area of the body and attacks another. These attacks can only be dodged and the defender has a -2 to dodge them
Roll: Standard attack roll for the first shot (the feint shot), and a successful roll is an intentional miss; the defender rolls Luck/Level/Int to spot. If the spot roll is lower than or equal to the attack roll, then the defender can only dodge with penalty. If the spot roll is higher than the attack roll or if the attack roll fails, the defender receives no penalty and is permitted to counter-attack, and the attacker continues with normal attacks.
Actions: Full turn
Limit: 1 every 3 duel rounds

Called Shots
Description: A called shot is an attack specifically targetted at one area of the body. There are two types of called shots: Disable and Dismember. A Disable shot is one attack targetted at one limb. If the called shot is successful, that limb is disabled for the duration of the fight but can be fixed with a med kit. A Dismember shot is two attacks targetted at one limb. If both attacks are successful, the limb is severed clean off of the body.
Required init: Attacker only
Advantage: Renders limbs useless. Can negate dual wielding and two-handed weapons. Can also make severe movement/roll penalties if legs are disabled. Note that the attacks still do damage even if they do not disable or dismember.
Roll: A Disable called shot requires one roll of nat 20. The attacker must state in their attack summary "Called shot, Disable: third roll." or whichever roll they believe will be a nat 20. A Dismember called shot requires two rolls on nat 20. The attacker must state in their attack summary "Called shot, Dismember: first and third rolls." or whichever rolls they believe will be a nat 20.
Actions: One attack for Dismember, two attacks for Disable.
Limit: Twice per duel.

Rewards

Experience rewarded for the winner: $100/100exp/100s-exp

Experience rewarded for the loser: $50/50exp/50s-exp

Experience rewarded for a yield: $25/25exp/25s-exp