What is Urbanbrawl? Options

[Fu-Man Chu]

Just a quick question, what exactly is Urbanbrawl? I mean how is it played? I'm thinking about creating an ex-Urbanbrawler runner, but I don't know what skills would be appropriate -- Athlectics, possibly unarmed combat with a grappling emphasis. . . Intimidation. . .what else?

[TinkerGnome]

Think of it as capture the flag with live ammo and a few rules. It's explained in the Sprawl Survival Guide and ShadowBeat. To survive, you need stealth, athletics, and weapon skills, at a minimum.

[Catsnightmare]

Let me dig out my copy of Shadowbeat...

Urban Brawl is played in closed off section of local barrens, 4 city blocks by 3 city blocks. Played similar to American Football but a little more chaotic. Players are allowed to use any pistol up to Heavy Pistol class (including Roomsweeper) except for the Blaster who is allowed a light machinegun on a gyromount, and the Outrider who has a motorcycle with a mounted SMG, assault rifle, or shotgun in additon to his sidearm, and the team Medico who is unarmed and offlimits to hit. Any type of melee weapon is allowed, except monofilament, shock/stun weapons.
The object is to get the ball into the opponents goal to score points. Any cyberware is allowed.

[Frag-o Delux]

If I remember correctly, both teams have a ball at the same time so you have to decide if you want more team mates on defense or offense. Also if your ball stops moving you get penalized. If you attack a guy who surrendered you get penalized. The person carrying the ball can not ride on the outriders bike, but maybe dragged behind it. But the coup de grace, if you wipe out the other team in one play you automatically win the game, that means if you kill, or wound to the point the guy can't play, or make them surrender in play your team walks away the winner, even if the game is five minutes into the first quater. They have other rules like your team colors have to have at least one bright color to defeat your ability to "blend in". Also if you are caught tampering with your surrender mechinism you are dealt a killed penalty which means you can't play any more. If you recieve magical healing you have to sit out the rest of the game. If you intenailly kill someone, what ever that means, you get penalized. You are not allowed to to have any help from the out side, like radio communication with some one hacking into the network tv cameras, or a mage projecting into the battle field. They have a lot of other rules that are escaping me right now, and I think I have wrote to much as is.

[The Dastardly De...]

I belive the adventure Killing Glare has even more info. Also, note that the players use gel/stun rounds as it's not supposed to be a blood sport.

[Kagetenshi]

Urban Brawl is great. So is Combat Biking. I may have to make some Brawl/Biker-based characters soon.

~J

[Jestyr]

[Kanada Ten]

[TinkerGnome]

[Kagetenshi]

You sure on that? I was almost certain that it was non-bloodsport... not that A Killing Glare may not have a souped-up version...

~J

[Jestyr]

No books handy, but I'm pretty sure that Urban Brawl is a bloodsport game - at least unofficially, if not officially.

(For another take on a non-bloodsport variant of Urban Brawl, you can always check out Berserk! in TSS 12. *pimp, pimp*)

[Orgone Accumulat...]

There was a write-up about it in Shadowbeat (Hume, Paul R. Shadowbeat. FASA Corporation. Chicago, 1992. pp. 68-73.)

I have access to the text, but I don't want to violate any copyright laws by posting it. The book, alas, is out of print.

[Kagetenshi]

I've got a copy at home too. I'll have to check when I get back there, which will be long after this thread has passed into the mists of time.

~J

[Fortune]

The rules and information about Urban Brawl can be found here. :)

[BitBasher]

er... that was a bit more than a sample or good faith and goes right into plagarism and copyright violation in my opinion :(

[Fortune]

The Big Knobi Club has been on the net for a long time, and is a somewhat established site in the Shadowrun community. I have posted that link previously to the Dumpshock forums with no problems.

Note that I am in no way associated with the Big Knobi Club, either now or in the past. :)

[Abstruse]

Urban Brawl (not the pussy Arena Brawl) definately DOES use live ammo, but I believe they only use standard ball rounds. No explosives, flechette, APDS, etc. However, because all the players are wearing at least medium security hardened armor, they're going to be at least fairly well protected.

Arena Brawl uses gel rounds so that stray rounds won't hurt spectators, and some colleges even have Arena Brawl teams I believe. I'm sure there are many minor league places that use paintballs or lasers.

The Abstruse One

[Hot Wheels]

I originally thought Urban Brawl was stun rounds so was shocked when "Killing glare" talked about live rounds. I know it's a blood sport but that just seemed to take too high a toll on the ranks.

I mean a modern sporting team gets crippled by a few twisted ankles and they're out of the contention for the season, that's without live ammo!

[kevyn668]

I thought the deal w/ copyright violation was that if its out of print, you're good to go. Or is that more of a "grey area" in legality.

Besides, if you can't post a paraphrased description, why is okay to post detailed stats and rules--most of which are direct quotes? If its a citation thing, such as the rules/stats, can't you just say "As stated by Hume et al. in [XYZ sourcebook] on pXX...bla, bla, bla..." (not that anybody does...)

I don't have a prob either way, just curious. :spin:

[Abstruse]

However, in Urban Brawl, you don't have as much direct contact since most of the combat is ranged. And with cyberware and clonal replacements, there's no need to worry about blowing out a knee or anything.

Again, these guys play in SECURITY armor...and note that in Shadowrun, Security armor is military armor. That's a full suit head-to-toe with helmet.

The Abstruse One

[Hot Wheels]

Yeah, but you still have to do damage to take them down, otherwise they could just walk down the street. If the bullets don't stop 'em there wouldn't be any risk/tension to the games. Sure it's not a in your face contact sport as cybered football, but a 9mm bullet in your back is still pretty much "contact."

In RL, the New York Yankees Derek Jeter was lightly injured, sent down to the minors, and there was a fear would his career be off. Would he be back for the season? (the answer is YES HE's BACK!) but that's just running and throwing in an open field. Imagine the risk potential, armor or not, if he was scrambling over broken ground, with people shooting at him!

[Drain Brain]

I seem to recall the original Shadowbeat description calling their gear "Urban Brawl Armour" as opposed to Security or Military armour. That being the case, I always pictured it as less body-encompassing. Think Colonial Marines - Breast plate, helmet, greaves, pauldrons etc. Maybe gauntlets, certainly goggles.

[Kagetenshi]

I'm assuming that for the purpose of Urban Brawl the creators were thinking in terms of some stun damage being potentially done by nonpenetrating bullets, which makes a certain amount of sense.

~J

[kevyn668]

DB- I think you're right. IIRC, each position wears different armor. most are 3/3 or similar. The Blaster got something like partial heavy/ light sec (6/3), I think, and so did the medic. and the outrider fell somewhere in between. but the armor is all so the "jersey" for the team w/ at least one bright color...

I guess I could just go to the Knobi Klub link above, but I'm just too lazy to "click". and where's the fun in that??

[Drain Brain]

According to the stuff in the BKK link:

Scouts: Four per team. Scouts wear light armor (ballistic 3, impact 2, plus helmet) and carry a personal sidearm.
Bangers: Four per team. Bangers wear medium armor (ballistic 4, impact 3, plus helmet) and carry a personal sidearm.
Heavies: Two per team. Heavies wear medium armor (ballistic 4, impact 3, plus helmet) and carry a personal sidearm, plus the brawler's choice of an assault rifle, SMG, or shotgun.
Blaster: One per team. The blaster wears light armor (ballistic 3, impact 2, plus helmet) and carries an LMG in a gyro-harness mounting (rating 2).
Outrider: The outrider wears medium armor (ballistic 4, impact 3, plus helmet), rides a motorcycle, and packs a cycle-mounted assault rifle, SMG, or shotgun. He or she also carries a personal sidearm. In addition to fighting, the outrider can also carry any other brawler on his cycle except the ball carrier.
Medico: The medico wears heavy armor (ballistic 6, impact 4, plus helmet) painted a bright, glossy, white. In lieu of weapons, the medico carries a well-stocked medical kit. The medico cannot engage in combat, and the players who deliberately attack him get slapped with a hefty penalty, unless he is riding on the outrider's cycle. The outrider's bike and its passenger are always fair game.