Hard science fiction, like our real world, favors the gun over the sword. However, the space opera genre often includes daring duels with flashing blades and sharp knives, where heroes and villains defend their honor in the ancient way of the sword. This free supplement provides several rules intended to add such a flavor to your Faster Than Light: Nomad game. They are, of course, optional – to be adopted when the Referee and the players desire pulpy swordfights in their sci-fi game.

Parry Dice

Each character has a number of Parry Dice equal to their Combat skill. In addition, a shield provides an additional Parry Die. For example, a character with Combat 2 and a shield will have 3 Parry Dice. These represent the ability to block enemy melee blows, mitigating their damage. Parry Dice renew at the beginning of each character’s turn in combat.

Parrying

An armed character hit in melee combat who has Parry Dice may Parry. This requires the character to be aware of the attack; surprised characters, or those attacked by sneaking foes, may not Parry.

There are 3 types of parrying:

· Low effort: expend 1 Parry Die; throw 1d6 + Combat. The result is your Parry Score.

· High effort: expend 2 Parry Dice; throw 2d6 + Combat. The result is your Parry Score.

· Epic Effort: expend 3 Parry Dice; throw 2d6 + Combat, with a +1D Advantage Die. The result is your Parry Score.

If the Parry Score is equal to or higher than the attacker’s total attack throw, the attack is Parried and causes no damage.

Riposte

A character who successfully parried an attack and has remaining Parry Dice may Riposte the attack by expending one Parry Die, gaining a free retaliatory attack against their attacker. This Riposte may be Parried as well, and even Riposted! This does not replace the character’s regular Combat Actions.

Martial Arts and Parrying

An unarmed character with the Martial Artist Archetype may Parry and Riposte, as if armed. However, as they are using their flesh to Parry, each successful Parry against a weapon (but not against another unarmed character) causes them half the attacking weapon’s damage (rounded down).

Sundering Weapons and Shields

A critical hit (“natural” 12 on the attack throw) against an armed character in melee breaks the target’s weapon, as it is assumed that this weapon will be raised in defense. If the target has a shield, it is destroyed instead.

On the other hand, a character who fumbles a Parry (“natural” 2 on the Parry roll, or a “natural” 1 if only one Parry Die is used) breaks their weapon and suffers the enemy attack’s normal damage. If they have a shield, the shield is destroyed instead.

A Martial Artist who would otherwise suffer a “weapon destroyed” result simply takes full attack damage instead.

Laser Rapiers

High adventures among the stars sometimes include Laser Rapiers. This is a Cosmic Age artifact, with value beyond any price. It takes 1 point of Encumbrance and causes 3d6 damage. When turned off, the Laser Rapier appears as a short metal cylinder reminiscent of a sword’s hilt. When lit, this hilt emits an energy blade. A Zero Point Energy cell within the hilt will feed the blade for eternity.

Only characters of the Space Monk Archetype may use a Laser Rapier. This represents the specialized mystical training necessary for this ultra-tech artifact to work.

Laser Rapiers have the following characteristics:

· A successful Laser Rapier attack against a character with a weapon or shield which is not a Laser Rapier cannot be parried and automatically breaks the target’s weapon or shield. Laser Rapiers may, of course, parry other Laser Rapiers.

· A Laser Rapier can Parry, but not Riposte, ranged attacks against its wielder, as if they were melee attacks.

· Characters Wounded by Laser Rapiers suffer a -1D Penalty Die to their Triage Table roll.

Space Monk Archetype: Extensive training in mysticism and using a Laser Rapier. Space Monks are often positioned as guardians of civilization against the forces of Chaos. Some, however, do fall into the embrace of Chaos and become Dark Space Monks.