Interactive Environment and Combos

Further developing this project

There are two more playable cards: Repeat Previous Card and Repeat First Card

Cards are played 3 at a time, covered, and then revealed and resolved one at a time. The order of reveal is important, so make sure you are on the same page on which counts as the First Card.

Example:
Player 1 and Player 2 each place 3 cards covered on the table. They decided that the first card is the one on Player 1's left side and Player 2's right side, so they reveal those cards. Player 1's card is as Block while Player 2's card is a Throw. They go through all the steps of the procedure explained in the last blogpost, then move to the second card, and so on. After the clash of the third card is resolved, they check if someone pulled off a Combo, resolve that effect, take back their cards and play another round.

Obviously, it doesn't make much sense to play Repeat First Card as your first card. If Repeat First Card is played as the first card and the opponent used an attack, their attack automatically connects.

A Combo is pulled off if the right cards have been played in the right order, and all your attacks connected.

Most Combos have a one-time use that lasts the whole combat:

1. Enemy can't play Fast Strike anymore
2. Enemy can't play Heavy Strike anymore
3. Enemy can't play Dodge anymore
4. Enemy can't play Throw anymore
5. Enemy can't play Block anymore
6. Enemy can't play Repeat Previous Card anymore
7. Enemy can't play Repeat First Card anymore
8. Once per turn, at the moment of reveal, you can change one of the opponent's cards on the field with one from yout hand.
9. Once per turn, at the moment of reveal, you can change one of your cards on the field with one from your hand,
10. Once per turn, at the moment of reveal, you can force the opponent to change one card on the field with one from their hand,
11. You can't go lower than a d6
12. Enemy can't go higher than d12 
13. Step up your die to the highest step (this combo can be played more than once)
14. Step down opponent's die to the lowest step (this combo can be used more than once)
15. Your cards' effects are amplified by one die, so Fast Strike steps you up twice, Heavy Strike steps you up thrice and the opponent down twice, Dodge steps you both down twice etc
16. You don't have disadvantage anymore
17. Your die can't be stepped down anymore 
18. If you and your opponent play the same attack card, theirs has disadvantage
19. Once per turn, you can reverse the result of a bout by swapping the cards after rolling  eg. if your opponent's Fast Strike connected you get to step up the die instead. For the purpose of a Combo, it's your new card that counts, and your attack that counts as if it connected
20. Instant knock-out (show this combo to the enemy before the match)

To know what combo you're capable of, draw three random cards in order, and roll a d20. The Combo is whatever combination of Attacks, Blocks or Dodges resulted, and the effect is the one indicated by the d20. If your character has multiple combos and you roll the same combo twice, or the same effect twice, redraw the cards or reroll the die respectively.

If the first card you drew is Repeat First Card, swap the first and third card of the combo

In a TTRPG, PCs may start with one combo slot (or even none) and gain an additional combo slot for each powerful enemy they dispatch.

If you're just playing this as a tabletop game, you may draw up to 3 combos before the match.

Example: 

Player 1 wants to know what their character's combo is. They draw, in order: Dodge, Repeat First Card and Heavy Strike, and roll a d20 with a result of 20.

This means that if in a round they manage to pull off two subsequent Dodges and then connect a Heavy Strike, they win the match. 

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How can we turn this card game into a TTRPG?

When I think of kung-fu movies, particularly Jackie Chan's, I imagine alot of gags using the environment

At the moment of reveal, before rolling dice, you can decide to do your Move using the environment.

If you use your environment for a Move, this is always pulled off but there is no effect on the dice and your Combos aren't triggered. However, your opponent's Combo isn't disrupted.

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Example :

Player 1's character, 'Guile' vs Player 2's character, 'Jackie', are fighting in a bar

They both play a Fast Strike as their first card. Jackie decides that their character is breaking a bottle on Guile's head, so Jackie automatically wins the bout, buth their dice doesn't step up.

Next card is a Heavy Strike for Guile and a Throw for Jackie. Once again, Jackie decides to use the environment and slide Guile on the bar countertop, smashing his face against numerous glasses.

Finally, they both go for a Heavy Strike, and Guile comes out on top. stepping up his die twice nd stepping down Jackie's die once. Player 1 reveals that - Fast Strike . Heavy Strike - Heavy Strike - was their Combo and that means they can resolve its effect.

If Jackie's combo was Fast Strike - Throw - Heavy Strike, and he managed to connect his last Heavy Strike, he still wouldn't have completed his Combo since he used the environment during this round

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Objects usually break once used

Assume the characters are moving around the arena so everythinig is in reach.

Also, assume they're able to do incredibly acrobatic and showy stuff.

It's important to create highly interactive battle arenas, think about Jackie Chan's movies or Pirate sof the Caribbean. They can include:

1. Stuff to break on the opponent's head: pool cues, bottles, paintings, pans...

2. Swingy stuff, chandeliers, rope bridges...

3, Verticality, numerous planes of actions, stairs

4. Stilts

5. Hydrants, water hoses

6. Big hamster wheels...?

7. Kitchen stoves?

I don't know, let your fantasy run wild on how the characters can hurt each other.in the most funny way.