I have finally (finally!) written up the Kick Ass system for Refuge. Any thoughts/suggestions?
Kick Ass System
Refuge uses a variant of the Kick Ass system developed in New Zealand by Mike Sands, Svend Anderson, Debbie Cowens, and ??? and modified by the writers of A Town Called Refuge.
The Kick Ass system is based on a simple paper-scissors-rock mechanic, with some modification. Each player is assigned a level of ‘kick-assness’ relative to their skill at fighting, as follows:
Super Kick Ass – for incredibly tough and brutal fighters
Kick Ass – for skilled fighters
Normal – for regular people
Half Ass – for children, the elderly, other weak people
When two players wish to resolve a conflict, they first compare kick ass levels. If one character has two or more Kick Ass levels over the other, they automatically win.
Eg Half-Ass vs Kick Ass, Normal vs Super Kick Ass
If there are one or fewer levels of Kick Ass separating them, they play paper-scissors-rock until there is a winner. In the event of a draw, the player who is more Kick Ass wins – otherwise they continue playing.
Eg Half-Ass vs Normal, Kick Ass vs Super Kick Ass, Kick Ass vs Kick Ass etc
Once a winner has been determined, the players may roleplay a fight scene, ending in one of three scenarios: the loser is knocked unconscious (or killed), the loser must give an item to the winner or the loser must answer a question truthfully.